Background Studies - Mid Sussex District Council

Landscape Character Assessment

A Landscape Character Assessment for Mid Sussex (November 2005) was produced to help protect and enhance the distinctive landscape character of the District and to manage change.

Part Three: Landscape Character Areas

Part Four: Landscape Management Guidelines

Appendices

Maps

Figures

Figure 2.1. Geological Section Across Mid Sussex

Mid Sussex Landscape Capacity Study

The capacity study is an assessment of the physical and environmental constraints on development. It looks at the Mid Sussex District landscape to find possible areas for future development.

Documents:

Mid Sussex Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan

Developing Government-endorsed Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) is fundamental to achieving long-term improvements in cycling and walking infrastructure in Mid Sussex. It provides a recommended approach for planning sustainable, inter-connected walking and cycling routes and is important for laying groundwork for future development policy and investment. An LCWIP helps with funding bids, for example to Active Travel England, and is useful evidence to support strategic planning and development management functions.

Mid Sussex District Council’s LCWIP follows the creation of LCWIPs throughout the Districts and Boroughs of West Sussex. The Council appointed leading active travel consultants PJA to prepare the LCWIP, following the standard practice procedure outlined by the Department for Transport. It involved analysis of existing planning and active travel policies as well as data analysis, stakeholder engagement and location audits. Our LCWIP focuses on the three town centres of Burgess Hill, East Grinstead and Haywards Heath in Mid Sussex.

Within the LCWIP, 7 routes were identified across each of the three towns, totalling 21 routes across the District. These routes have been prioritised for development using active travel strategy criteria and scoring methodology set out by West Sussex County Council as the Highways Agency.

The LCWIP is not designed to create “shovel-ready” proposals. The cycling and walking routes identified will require further design work should funding be secured. However, a completed LCWIP is advantageous when bidding for regional and national active travel funding to deliver the routes. The LCWIP has been submitted to WSCC who is responsible for securing funding and delivering routes.

View the Mid Sussex Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan here

Playing Pitch Study

A revision of ancient woodland inventory

Mid Sussex District is the tenth most wooded district in the South East. Nearly two thirds of woodland within the District is classified as ancient (areas where there has been continuous woodland since at least 1600 AD). Many of the woodlands in the area have a complex history and traces of past uses and management can still be seen today.

A revision of the Ancient Woodland Inventory for Mid Sussex was completed in October 2006.

The revised survey found an additional 607 ancient woodlands not previously identified. This added 1600 Hectares to the total of ancient woodlands known to exist in Mid Sussex.

2006 - A revision of the ancient woodland inventory for Mid Sussex District Council

The Sussex Extensive Urban Survey (EUS)

The Sussex Extensive Urban Survey (Sussex EUS) is an independent study of 41 towns undertaken between 2004 and 2008 for:

East Sussex County Council (ESCC)
West Sussex County Council (WSCC)
Brighton and Hove City Council

It was funded by English Heritage.

The Sussex EUS forms part of the Character of West Sussex Partnership Programme - aiming to give guidance and advice on the protection and enhancement of all aspects of character in the county.

Key objectives of the project include:

Drawing together of previous archaeological and historical work
Creation of a Geographic Information System (GIS)
Analysis of the origins and development of each town
Identification of county-wide Historic Character Types
Preparation of a Statement of Historic Urban Character for each town
Identification of gaps in the understanding of the occupation and historical development of character of each town
Advice to local authorities on the development of guidance

Five settlements within Mid Sussex were subject to the survey. The Historic Character Assessment Report for each settlement can be viewed below.

Burgess Hill

Burgess Hill Main Document