Taylor Wimpey South Thames has announced the completion of the purchase of land off Ockley Lane with outline planning permission to build 500 new homes in the village.

The homebuilder will provide a mixture of private and affordable housing and is in the process of working up its reserved matters planning application in the coming months. The proposal is set to be one to five bedroom properties, of which 150 will be ‘affordable’. The planning permission should also see a pedestrian tunnel under the London to Brighton railway line, a community building and a primary school delivered (although not by Taylor Wimpey).

Although housebuilding is always controversial – outline permission was granted by MSDC in February last year. Taylor Wimpey state on its website, it will be investing nearly £5.5m into local education as part of the development – which will fund the delivery of a new primary school as well as expansion at Downlands School and Haywards Heath Sixth Form College.

Another £1.4m of funding is also expected to be allocated locally including development of Hassocks Library and infrastructure improvements at Hassocks Health Centre. A new bridleway connecting Hassocks and Burgess Hill is also in the scheme.

The housebuilder is hoping to deliver the first completions on the site from 2023.