Editor

At present, Sport England is a statutory consultee when planning applications impact playing fields, acting as a crucial safeguard in the planning system and providing vital oversight. However, the government is looking to remove them from this position as part of proposed planning reforms. Playing fields are a lifeline for many communities, boosting both physical […]

The most urgent planning issue is yet another NPPF, published for consultation on 16 December 2025. Our calculation of MSDC’s new mandatory annual housing target is 1,391 dwellings, an increase of 34% from the recent new-build average of 1,035 dwellings. Our first reading of the proposed NPPF reveals the Government’s intent to significantly speed up […]

Recognising the sad state of repair of the playground area on Lindfield Common and other spaces, the Friends of Lindfield Playgrounds (FLP) formed a registered charity to assess needed repairs, solicit donations, and oversee the repair and replacement of damaged an unsafe equipment. The Lindfield Society provided £1,000 in start-up funding to help FLP cover […]

Lindfield Society Co-Chair’s Newsletter January 2026 While planning issues continued to fill The Lindfield Society’s agenda during 2025, the upturn in local building renovation projects provided ample, excellent candidates for our Conservation and Design awards. The Society’s website continues to improve, becoming a hub for local planning news. We had a few hiccups at the […]

After years of neglect from West Sussex County Council (WSCC), the deterioration of the Lindfield Pond bollards along High Street became a painful eyesore to everyone. With the promised financial support from the Lindfield Society, Lindfield Parish Council (LPC) was able to enter into fruitful negotiations with WSCC in 2025. WSCC required a £10,000 co-payment […]

LIVE MUSIC • LIGHT DISPLAYS • PERFORMERS • FOOD & REFRESHMENTS Saturday 4th October 2025 Start from Lindfield Primary Academy Click on the link below for all the details: Shine Bright 2025  

Government planning legislation continues to pose the single greatest threat of over development for the entire southeast. A White Paper in the autumn of 2020 proposed removing the few protections that remain for communities targeted by speculative developers. Councils would have been compelled to identify land “zoned” for development, where applications would receive automatic approval. […]

Following consultation with our members and approval at our April AGM, the Society has modified its name from Lindfield Preservation Society to Lindfield Society. We hope that this formulation is more inclusive, encompassing our commitment to sensitive development and improvement as well as preservation. Conserving what makes Lindfield special remains of course our goal. Lindfield […]

Following consultation with members at the 2022 AGM, and with the Charity Commission, we will now be using the working name ‘Lindfield Society’. Members will however notice that our bank account to which payments are made retains the name ‘Lindfield Preservation Society’, which is still the official title according to our constitution. Planning matters: The […]

We have provided funding for the Monday Group to make improvements to the streamside path in the Scrase Valley nature reserve. The Monday Group is an organisation of volunteer workers who clear and maintain the rights of way in Sussex. They recently received the King’s Award for Voluntary Service. The renovated path will provide better […]