DAY NINE

Cuckfield holds it breath, as well as fellow campaigners from neighbouring Ansty, as the fate of one of the South East's most controversial housing developments is decided in Westminster.

A planning appeal brought by developer Fairfax Acquisitions into proposals for 1,450 homes on farmland between the two villages concluded this week. After almost three weeks of evidence at Mid Sussex District Council's headquarters in Haywards Heath, government-appointed Planning Inspector Joanna Gilbert will prepare her report and recommendation.

However, the final decision will be taken by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, currently Steve Reed, after an intervention to recover the appeal during the third day of the inquiry .

That has heightened tension in Cuckfield, where many residents fear the Government could overturn the Council's original refusal of planning permission, as part of its drive to accelerate housebuilding following Labour's landslide General Election victory in 2024…