Plumpton Grade II-listed level crossing plan is rejected

The signal box and crossing gates at Plumpton are Grade II listed

A plan to repair and renew a Grade II-listed level crossing, closed on safety grounds, has been rejected.

Network Rail said the decision about the crossing in Plumpton, East Sussex was "extremely disappointing" and the road would remain closed.

Lewes District Council rejected the plans saying replacing the listed gates would cause "substantial harm".

Mario Caulfield, Conservative MP for Lewes, is calling on Network Rail to open the road "straight away".

She said villagers faced a six or seven mile detour to get round the village while the level crossing was closed.

A council spokesman said "a detrimental impact on the character and setting of the listed signal box and main station building".

Reopening 'unachievable'

The council added replacing the crossing would cause "substantial harm to the significance of the signal box", and the loss of the original gates would outweigh the public benefits.

Network Rail had planned reopen the level crossing on 12 October but said that was now "unachievable".

The firm is now seeking an extension to the road closure which has been in place since 25 September.

An independent study into the feasibility of upgrading the existing 19th Century gates concluded it was not a viable option, a spokesman said.

Local MP Ms Caulfield said: "'It is vital that the road through Plumpton, which include the level crossing is opened straightaway.

"It is completely unreasonable to ask local people to undertake lengthy journeys to simply get around the village."