Relief for Haywards Heath businesses but planned road closure ‘threat’ remains

However, small businesses at Borde Hill Garden are still ‘seriously threatened’ by the planned three-month road closure proposed by developer Redrow.

In November last year, we reported that Redrow wanted to close Balcombe Road, Borde Hill Lane and Hanlye Lane for three months for road improvements as part of the Penlands Green development.

The news came as a huge blow to the businesses, which said it would have a ‘devastating’ effect.

However Redrow has now confirmed it will be withdrawing its road closure application and will instead pursue the closure for the summer of 2020, following concerns raised.

Jill Housby and Sam Phillips, of The Green Tree Gallery, said: “We are relieved at the recent news that Balcombe Road will not be closed off from next month, but this is only a postponement of the potential and likely chaos which will now unfold next year.

“Redrow’s letter of notification stresses their intention ‘to find a way to reduce disruption to residents and businesses as much as possible’.

“The 14 Borde Hill businesses have yet to meet any representative of Redrow and we therefore urge Redrow to use the intervening time to engage with us in order to deliver on both this promise, and on its website mission statement that it ‘works closely with communities’, takes account of ‘what is important locally’, and aims to ‘instil a strong sense of community spirit’.

“The businesses based in and around Borde Hill employ upwards of 130 people, whose livelihoods would be seriously threatened by the three-month road closure.”

Jeremy Ashpool, of Jeremy’s Restaurant, said: “It feels like a stay of execution rather than reassuring the community that there will not be full closure for three months.”