Haywards Heath
Background
Haywards Heath has grown rapidly following the construction of the London to Brighton railway line and has since been described as the ‘Heart of Mid Sussex’.
Haywards Heath town centre has been identified as a priority area for investment and the scheme proposals are underpinned by the West Sussex Transport Plan 2022-2036 which was adopted on 1 April 2022. The West Sussex Transport Plan is the County Council’s approach to investment in, and management of, the transport network in order to plan for future transport needs.
Commercial Square and South Road form part of several projects that have been identified and developed in order to incrementally advance this plan to transform key streets and spaces across the centre and create the canvas for a more animated and inclusive public life. A carefully balanced approach includes a more attractive, accessible, and user-friendly space with easy access and provision for good transport infrastructure along with generous facilities for pedestrians, cyclists, public transport and other vehicles. The aim is to create a place where residents and visitors alike are encouraged to visit as a destination and to spend time, thus helping to achieve sustainable economic growth in Haywards Heath.
Our vision for Haywards Heath
In order to fully realise the potential of Hayward’s Heath to be the ‘Heart of Mid Sussex’ we have identified a number of objectives along with suggestions to help us achieve these, namely:
- To create a strong sense of place and improve the legibility and identity of South Road – by making use of key access gateways, creating routes and guidance that will help people find and make their way through the area more easily, and by increasing the amount of access to urban green space which would contribute to the appearance and ambience of the street scene.
- To improve the quality of the street character and public spaces – by utilising consistent colours/materials for street furniture (benches, barriers, bollards, dust bins etc.) and by consolidating all the signage.
- To protect, integrate and enhance the town’s significant green spaces whilst also improving connections with Victoria Park – by planting street trees along the road; Improving entrances and boundaries to Victoria Park.
- To provide opportunities for sustainable travel so that walking and cycling are attractive and viable options – by prioritising pedestrian and cycle traffic (reducing width of carriageway; reducing vehicle speed limits; widening footway; restricting delivery times etc.)
- To develop and ensure sustainable and future-proof designs which will minimise impact on climate change – by installing electrical charge points for EVs; providing easy access, live updates for public transport; installing secure bike stands; sourcing local content etc.
South Road
The proposals for South Road seek to balance the needs of the community with the desire to improve the appeal and accessibility of this location whilst reducing congestion and use by heavy goods vehicles.
These improvements to South Road are concentrated on the main town centre shops and the relationship and interconnectivity with Victoria Park.
The main features of the South Road schemes are to:
- deter through-traffic
- encourage the use of the Haywards Heath Relief Road, particularly for HGV’s
- reduce the speed limit on South Road to 20mph
- implement pedestrian crossings that are slightly raised from street level (meaning cars will slow down for the ramp)
- widen the footways that provide better connections to the town centre
- plant trees in the ground creating a permanent green space and environment replacing small trees in plant boxes
- choose a style and colour of materials that is consistent and pleasing to the eye, helping to create a more visually appealing and attractive destination for locals and visitors alike
- help to create an overall environment that will increase footfall and encourage people to stay for longer, thus helping to improve the commercial regeneration
- focus on the relationship of South Road with Victoria Park as well as future redevelopment opportunities in the area.
Click on the South Road Plan under the Documents section on the right-hand side of the page or click on the image below to see the proposal details.
Commercial Square
The proposals for Commercial Square seek to support the Station Quarter and Waitrose Development by improving safety and convenience for pedestrians and cyclists whilst promoting well-being and accessibility.
In summary, the main features of the Commercial Square roundabout scheme are to revise the junction layout and improve pedestrian facilities by:
- widening the footways and pedestrian refuges
- providing for shared footway / cycleway on the south side of Sydney Road and Market Place including provision of a wider crossing of the Perrymount Road arm
- improving pedestrian and cycle movement by creating routes and guidance that will help people find and make their way through the area more easily
- removing barriers (guard railing) around the junction where appropriate to reduce street clutter.
Click on the Commercial Road Plan in the 'Documents' on the righjt-hand side of the page or click on the image below to see the proposal details
Have your say!
This consultation is now closed.
Alternative Formats and Accessibility:
If you require any of the information for this project in an alternative format, please contact us on 01243 642105 or via email at activetravel@westsussex.gov.uk and we will do our best to assist you. If you are deaf or hard of hearing and have an NGT texting app installed on your computer, laptop or smartphone, you can contact us on 18001 01243 642105.
Please see the Your Voice Engagement Hub Accessibility tab (opens in new window) at the bottom of the page for further information about accessibility.
