Bellway and Homes England are delivering footway and cycleway improvement works as part of the Green Circle walking, cycling, and bridleway route that is to be provided at Brookleigh.
From 10th June 2025, these improvement works will take place at Freeks Lane. We anticipate works will be complete by the end of 2025. During this time, the Freeks Lane footpath will be closed. Whilst there is no alternative route provided, a network of public footpaths are available to reach A273 Isaacs Lane, please see the map below.
The Green Circle is a continuous route which encourages active lifestyles and car-free travel around Burgess Hill and through the Brookleigh development to provide a new leisure route for the town. Freeks Lane forms part of the Green Circle and the proposed works will upgrade the existing footpath to a bridleway with a formal surface, thereby improving access along this Public Right of Way (PRoW). These improvement works will include:
- Widening the PRoW to three metres (with some small sections at two metres due to ground conditions) with the installation of new surfacing, to open access to the route for more users including walkers, cyclists and horse riders.
- Some very limited work to trees will be required which include pruning to heighten the PRoW to allow horse riding along the route, although this work will be carried out in accordance with an approved Arboricultural Method Statement.
Following our previous notification in late 2024, requests were made to resurface a length of footpath south of Eastbridge Avenue through to Maple Drive, which was outside the scope of the original area of works to Freeks Lane. Bellway and Homes England have been working closely with Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC) and West Sussex County Council (WSCC), to explore whether resurfacing works can be delivered along this additional length of the footpath up to the start of the private road before Maple Drive. Subject to final details being confirmed, we anticipate this will involve installing a new, loose stone and rolled limestone dust surfacing, making it safer and improving accessibility, while also retaining adequate drainage. These additional works will not require a planning application as the scale of works is much more limited.
The section between Eastbridge Avenue and Maple Drive will remain open as this does not form part of the footpath closure order. The Eastbridge Avenue to Maple Drive section will only be closed when the upgrading works are due to take place. Dates for these works have not yet been confirmed, although it is anticipated they will be implemented within the next 6 months.
Works to resurface the Eastbridge Avenue to Maple Drive footpath will stop at the privately owned section of the road, immediately off Maple Drive to the north.
We will continue to share updates here on the Brookleigh project webpage and via our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Brookleigh.BH/.
If you have any questions, please email the Brookleigh project team at