Land west of Imberhorne Lane, East Grinstead

One of the intentions behind our proposals for the land west of Imberhorne Lane is to provide enough facilities on-site to create a genuinely sustainable community, reducing the need for short-distance car journeys to and from the site.

As well as the new sports facilities for Imberhorne School and the new country park, the following on-site facilities will be created:

• A ‘Neighbourhood Centre’ will be provided towards the centre of the site, providing space that could be fitted out for a range of uses – for example, retail uses such as a convenience store, and / or community uses such as an on-site GP facility.

• A new two-form-entry primary school – including early years’ provision and facilities for special educational needs – will be provided opposite the Neighbourhood Centre. The school would be delivered by West Sussex County Council and include a large area for a playing field / outdoor play area and parking places.

• A NEAP (Neighbourhood Equipped Area of Play) will be provided towards the centre of the site, and an area next to the country park will be set aside for allotments.

• Over 12 hectares of incidental open space are proposed throughout the residential areas, as ‘green corridors’ linking the homes to the Gullege and Worth Way trails, to the country park and to the countryside beyond.

An artist’s impression of the proposed Neighbourhood Centre and primary school, overlooking a children’s play area

Residents of the new development will of course need to rely on some off-site facilities in East Grinstead, and the relative proximity of the site to walking and cycling routes offers a real opportunity to encourage sustainable travel:

• The site has a direct connection to Worth Way, providing an attractive, off-road walking and cycling route directly to East Grinstead railway station and the town centre beyond, and easy connections to other pedestrian routes.

• The development will make financial contributions towards the enhancement of off-site bus, cycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and provide spaces for a car club, e-bikes and e-scooters, as well as electric vehicle charging points for all the new homes.