Burgess Hill allotment holders left dismayed by plan for homes that could take away their plots

A group from ‘Chanctonbury Allotments’ near Queens Crescent car park said the area is highlighted for development in Mid Sussex District Council's District Plan.

Julie Kelly, of Old School Place, a plot-holder with her husband, said some residents have had plots there for 30 years.

“We think it should be considered as an asset to the community,” she said. “Whole families go up there.”

MSDC Cabinet Member for Planning Robert Salisbury defended the proposal, saying the area is ‘in desperate need’ of improvement.

Julie said the group is particularly concerned about the impact of more than 100 homes on the environment and wildlife, saying air quality could get worse with increased traffic.

The allotment holders attended a meeting on November 17 and agreed to send in representations against the plan. The District Plan’s consultation period lasts until December 19. “We feel that they could develop the station without all this housing going in,” said Julie.

Burgess Hill Town Council Leader and Lib Dem District Councillor Robert Eggleston said the town council has leased the allotment site from Network Rail for over 60 years.

He said: "It came as a complete surprise and shock to see the allotments near Chanctonbury Road included in the District Council’s housing plan. The allocation of 150 dwellings on the allotment site had not been included in the draft that was issued at the start of the year.”

Mr Eggleston said the area being developed would be ‘a massive loss’ because the Chanctonbury allotments represent 24 per cent of the 261 plots in Burgess Hill. He said he tried to get the allocation removed twice at District Council.

“Burgess Hill residents have yet another fight on their hands and the Town Council will be backing them all the way,” he said.

MSDC Cabinet Member for Planning Robert Salisbury said: “The area around Burgess Hill Railway station is in desperate need of improvement but despite Planning Policy support over the last 18 years, the aspirations in the neighbourhood plan to provide a modern, efficient interchange for buses and taxis, improved car parking and new shops and homes to regenerate the area have not progressed.“We don’t want to lose any allotment space but the ones on Chanctonbury Road hold the key to unlocking these much-needed improvements at Burgess Hill railway station by making any future revitalisation much more viable and helping ensure a key brownfield site in the town centre is freed up to deliver benefits for the wider community.”He said the allotments are owned by Network Rail, who lease them to the town council annually, and could be terminated ‘without the need to re-provide them’.

Mr Salisbury said: "By including this site in the revised District Plan, we can require reprovision.”

He added: “We appreciate this is a difficult situation for existing allotment holders who value their plots highly, but the status quo does not protect the allotments. No development will be allowed to take place unless a suitable location for new allotments can be found within the town and any relocation of the allotments would be done in consultation with allotment holders to minimise disruption.”