Letter: Swallowing up countryside around Haywards Heath

Following your excellent article on the threat to the setting of Sunte House, developers are continuing to step up their attempts to build houses on green spaces to the north of Haywards Heath, with plans that could see countryside swallowed up on both sides of the railway and as far as the Haywards Heath Golf Club.

Taking advantage of the late adoption of the District Plan which is still under discussion, with development plans for the surrounds of historic Sunte House and Wickham Farm (both Grade II* listed buildings)under way, threats to Sugworth Farm and Penland Farm, we now learn of new proposals emerging this week that could see fields to the north of 300 year old Sunte House being built over also.

Major house builders Crest Nicholson have just completed a 7 year option agreement with the owner of the land that will enable them to apply for planning permission to build houses on these green spaces.

With Banner Homes application to build south of Sunte House soon to be considered by the Mid Sussex District Council and major housing developments proposed by the Borde Hill Estate, along with the huge development of 230 homes in Lindfield, substantial areas of green space are now threatened.