Heavy lorry ban call to protect historic Lindfield

There are more than 90 listed buildings in the centre of Lindfield, some just feet from the road

More than 1,000 people have put their names to a campaign to protect a historic Sussex village from damage from heavy lorries.

People living in Lindfield, near Haywards Heath, want width and weight limits banning the heaviest vehicles from travelling through the village.

They say new building developments around Mid Sussex have led to a big rise in through-traffic.

West Sussex County Council has promised to look into their demands.

More than 1,000 people have so far signed a petition launched by Lindfield Preservation Society, calling for a ban on lorries over 7.5 tonnes travelling through the village high street, which is in a conservation area and has more than 90 listed buildings.

Traffic survey

The society says a number of "ancient and fragile" buildings, which stand just a few feet from the narrow road, are at risk from the vibration caused by the volume and intensity of heavy traffic.

And they say theirs is the only village of its size in the district not protected by a lorry ban.

A county council spokesman said: "The issue has arisen following a planning application in East Sussex, that we had no input to, regarding material being transported to a site, and they are not permitted to use a certain route in East Sussex, so are using West Sussex B roads instead.

"We have committed to undertaking a survey of traffic movements through Lindfield, which will assess how many HGVs are involved before considering the matter further."