FAQs
- The Wyshe Play Space falls within the Wolstonbury Hill Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
- A restrictive covenant is in place which states Mid Sussex District Council must use the land as a public play ground for children.
- The Wyshe play space falls within an Archaeological Notification Area.
- The Wyshe play space lies within the South Downs National Park. This means that Mid Sussex District Council is not the local planning authority for the area.
- Something new and exciting
Seating/picnic table/shelter
Basketball hoop
Why haven't we done anything yet on this site?
Wyshe Play Space is a unique site which is subject to specific restrictions and environmental restraints so this makes it more complex when looking at the future of the area.
What are the environmental constraints of the site?
A SSSI is a site of natural conservation importance. A site can be designated as a SSSI if it is home to rare flora or fauna or if it has particularly interesting geology. It is the Government body Natural England, who decide if a site should be a SSSI.
SSSI status offers much higher protection than other conservation designations.
Because of the SSSI designation, Mid Sussex District Council needs to avoid disturbing the grassland and is required to seek approval from Natural England prior to carrying out any works.
It is unclear why the designation covers the play space. The full extent of the SSSI designation can be seen on the Government’s Magic Map application [https://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx] .
A restrictive covenant is a contract between two landowners. One landowner promises the other landowner not to carry out certain acts on their own land. This restrictive covenant was put in place when the previous landowner transferred the land to the District Council.
This designation has no legal status but serves to make landowners aware of the increased chance of uncovering archaeology on their land. Records show the remains of a Roman Road and a small section of an 18th Century coaching road which is a scheduled monument, to the north of the play area.
The South Downs National Park Authority has confirmed that planning permission is not required for the removal of the existing play equipment, and its replacement with new play equipment and associated surfacing.
What was the result of the consultation carried out in 2022?
In 2022, Mid Sussex District Council consulted with local residents of Pyecombe to ask what they liked about the existing play area at The Wyshe and what they thought should be done to improve it.
People liked having a play facility close to home but felt it was tired and in need of an upgrade.
The most popular suggestions for improvements were:
Generally, people wanted a simple play area that allowed for the whole family to enjoy spending time.