In March our Chairman, Lyn Williams, attended the 3 week Government Examination of the District Plan. Below is a summary of it, and where to see the discussions , followed by the Inspector’s Comments and requirements to take the Plan forward to the next stage.
Report of Discussions Regarding Impact of Traffic on High Street
The following report details the discussions regarding the traffic impact on Hurstpierpoint High Street and the broader movement concerns arising from proposed developments in the Mid Sussex District Plan, including the specific requirements issued by the Inspector to the Council.
The MSDC Hurstpierpoint High Street Traffic Report
Following a request from the Inspector, Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC) produced a technical paper investigating the traffic impact on Hurstpierpoint High Street, particularly in relation to the Sayers Common (DPSC 3-7) allocations.
- Critique of Methodology: The Inspector observed that the report, authored by a highway engineer, focused almost exclusively on junction capacity. He argued this approach failed to account for the “lived experience” of residents, which includes pinch points on links, impacts on listed buildings, and general quality of life.
- Data Reliability: Lyn Williams, Chairman of the Hurstpierpoint Society, raised significant concerns that the data in the report appeared to be collected from Cuckfield Road rather than the High Street itself. She also highlighted conflicting definitions of “peak hours” (e.g., 7:00–10:00 vs. 8:00–9:00) across different council documents.
- Independent Vehicle Counts: The Society conducted its own survey on a Tuesday (a normal school day), recording 1,148 vehicles between 7:36 am and 10:00 am. They estimated the total peak period volume at approximately 1,600 vehicles, challenging the Council’s claim that traffic increases would only result in delays of “a few seconds”.
- Visual Evidence of Congestion: Lyn provided photographic evidence showing buses stuck and unable to move, as well as frequent “standoffs” between vehicles on the narrow High Street.
Mitigation and Lived Experience: The Society’s View
When asked what mitigation she wished to see, Lyn Williams emphasized preventing journeys over physical road improvements.
- Early Infrastructure Delivery: She argued that social infrastructure, such as schools and medical centres, must be provided early within the Sayers Common developments. Without this, new residents will inevitably drive into Hurstpierpoint for services, exacerbating the current infrastructure, which she described as having “no solution” due to historical physical constraints.
- Sustainability Challenges: Further discussions highlighted that the developments might remain car-dependent, with approximately 90% of residents traveling out for employment and 70% of students potentially traveling in from outside the settlement for secondary education.
The Inspector’s Specific Requirements for MSDC
The Inspector stated he was “not comfortable” with the current evidence and that the issue was not “adequately nailed down” for the purposes of soundness. He has required the Council to:
- Undertake Additional Technical Work: The Council must allow time for more “concrete work” to provide confidence in movement patterns. This must include looking at “pinch points on links” rather than just junctions.
- Develop a Holistic Strategy: MSDC must produce a holistic strategy for all five Sayers Common sites (DPSC 3-7), considering their integrated impact on the wider rural context, including country lanes.
- Address “Rat-Running” and Rural Safety: The Inspector personally witnessed the misuse of country lanes by through-traffic and “rat running heavy vehicles” and required these sensitivities to be addressed.
- Provide Certainty Beyond “Monitor and Manage”: He expressed scepticism regarding the proposed “monitor and manage” strategy, stating it failed to provide enough certainty for residents. He required the Council to “firm up” specific infrastructure interventions.
- Verify Data Robustness: The Council was directed to compare their figures with the Hurstpierpoint Society’s survey to ensure the modelling is robust and reflects current volumes.
Location of Key Discussions
Day 6: 17 March 2026 – View Here
- Movement and Transport Strategy (Item B): The bulk of the general traffic discussion took place from 11:35 am to 1:00 pm.
- Hurstpierpoint Report & Lyn Williams’ Evidence: Detailed critique of the MSDC report and the Society’s survey occurred between 11:50 am and 12:45 pm.
- Inspector’s Explicit Requirements: The Inspector’s detailed instructions for additional work and a holistic strategy were delivered between 12:45 pm and 1:00 pm.
Day 7: 18 March 2026 – View Here
- Further Work Confirmation: A brief confirmation that the Hurstpierpoint traffic issues remained a priority for further work occurred at the start of the session at 10:40 am.
Day 8: 19 March 2026 – View Here
Sustainability and “Lived Experience”: Discussions regarding the discrepancy between technical walking models and resident experiences (relevant to the “sustainability” of nearby towns) occurred between 10:15 am and 11:00 am.
Inspector’s Comments and Requirements
With comments that include:
“… the plan should take a more holistic approach to the masterplanning of all the Sayers Common sites in terms of how they work together, linkages, social and community facilities and infrastructure delivery, the treatment of movement and impacts within and outside the site, an mitigation measures, including how impacts on the lanes and Hurstpierpoint High Street are to be addressed. As regards the High Street, this will need to go beyond the scope of the Council’s paper MS-13 which is largely concerned with junction capacity. The Council will look at the wording in relation to the timing of the masterplan and there is also further work to do on viability.”
We could not have envisaged a better outcome. Here is the Inspector’s Post Hearing Statement.