The site is not suitable because 

  • Public transport in Bolney is very poor there are no proposals to increase bus services.

  • Pedestrian and cycle transport is not viable due to the long distances from the main towns and train stations.

  • The A272 is a fast and busy road not suitable for cyclists or pedestrians.

  • Increased traffic is inevitable as the village will have to accommodate cars from 200 houses, potentially 400 cars. This will increase traffic jams at the junctions on the A272, with the knock-on effect of creating rat-runs through the village.

  • The additional traffic on our narrow lanes would pose a serious safety risk to children, dog-walkers, horse-riders and cyclists.

  • Increased traffic on our lanes will ruin the character and rural nature of the village.

  • Increased pressure on our public utilities, in particular water, which has been a very real problem for the village in the past, during both cold periods and drought.

  • Managing water resources and water quality is key to serving existing and future residents.

  • Pressure on existing health services such as doctors, dentists, pharmacies and social care. 

  • Pressure on primary and secondary school places and the current West Sussex County Council policy is unlikely to support a new school (even if the developer donates the land, as has happened in other developments in the past decade)

  • Building a large development that relies on cars is not a long-term sustainable approach as the cost of running a one or two car household will not be affordable for many, especially as 30% of the houses are intended to be afforable.

OBJECTIONS TO THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT & SITE

The develoment is not proportionate because

  • MSDC says Bolney is suitable for ‘proportionate’ growth and Bolney has been allocated 1.5% of the new houses being planned in Mid Sussex, but it’s completely disproportionate to double the size of a rural village without the necessary transport and infrastructure.

  • Once the village has been doubled and its boundaries expanded, development is likely to ‘creep’ as it will be easier to get permissions to build on the ‘infill’ sites.

Development of the site could damage our landscape & biodiversity

  • Increased risk of flooding is a real concern for villagers. The village is not classified as high risk, but incidents of flooding have occured and more buildings will create additional run-off on low-lying areas on the edge of the field, particularly to the east and south, which are already flooded or brim-full after the recent heavy rain, affecting houses and potentially roads.

  • The nearby vineyards and orchards show the land has good commercial agricultural potential that would be permanently lost.

  • Congestion will divert traffic to the small roads of the AONB, increasing the risk to wildlife and the local amenity of the lanes (walking, horse riding, cycling etc).

It will damage an historic Sussex village

  • Bolney is a historic Sussex village with 45 listed buildings, including the Grade 1 parish church (only 10 in Mid-Sussex). The over-development planned will permanently and adversely change the historic nature of the village and compromise the rural context of the village, this is a loss for everyone in Mid-Sussex, not just village residents.

Our concerns will not be addressed by the developer's promises

  • We don’t think that the enhancements promised by the developer’s proposals are useful or necessary.

  • In a rural location there is little need for allotments, orchards & a country park.

  • The developers cannot guarantee that a village shop would be a viable commercial business.

  • We have concerns that the land for 'educational purposes' is not the same as additional school places (see above).

  • A co-working hub would be of limited utility as it could only be used by those who can work-from-home but don't have jobs that require confidentiality.

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