Turners Hill crematorium plans turned down

The outline application from Hartmires Investments Ltd asked permission for a single chapel crematorium, cremator and natural burial site plus 112 parking spaces, off Turners Hill Road.

Members of the planning committee, though, agreed with planning officers that it should not be allowed.

As well as the ‘significant and long-term harm’ it would cause to a public footpath which crosses the site, the officers said it would have an ‘adverse impact’ on the character and beauty of the area.

During a meeting on Thursday (December 17), councillors added their own views.

Questions were asked about whether another crematorium was need as it would be less than five miles from the Surrey & Sussex, in Worth.

With large areas of Mid Sussex not covered, it was suggested that east of Haywards Heath would be a better spot.

The site has quite the planning history, with plans for housing refused in 2016, plans for a chapel and burial ground allowed on appeal in 2017 but never started, and plans for a barn/workshop granted in March, with work starting in November.

The council received objections from the parish council and 36 others as well as a letter of objection signed by 68 locals.

While there were 27 letters of support for the plans, it was pointed out that 17 of those were from outside the district.

While the West Sussex highways team raised no concerns about the roads in the area, Gary Marsh (Con, Ardingly & Balcombe) highlighted what anyone familiar with the area knows – the Turners Hill crossroads less than half a mile from the site is ‘absolutely lethal’.

Other concerns centred around particles from the crematorium being blown across the village and the fact the site is referred to as brownfield land when there was no evidence anything had ever been built there other than the ongoing barn work.

To view the application in full, log on to pa.midsussex.gov.uk/online-applications and search for DM/20/2877.