Wealden council’s £558K Hamsey Bridge pledge sparks greenway funding questions
Wealden District Council’s decision to contribute £558,000 to a new bridge just outside its boundary is facing fresh scrutiny, as local leaders weigh the promise of a long-planned greenway against concerns about spending priorities and the future of rail service.
The money would go toward Hamsey Bridge, a key piece of a proposed nine-mile walking and cycling route between Uckfield and Lewes. The greenway would follow part of the former railway track bed, offering a car-free link across the district and into the South Downs.
But the pledge has raised questions at Wealden District Council (WDC), where opposition councilors called the decision in for scrutiny. At issue is why Wealden is helping pay for infrastructure in Lewes district when the council also faces pressure to fund projects tied to new housing and growth within its own borders.
WDC says the bridge over the River Ouse is “essential infrastructure” that would unlock wider benefits for both Wealden and Lewes. The authority added that any release of funds would come with conditions.
The contribution comes from Wealden’s community infrastructure levy (CIL), a charge paid by developers as part of planning agreements when they build a substantial number of new homes in the district. Lewes District Council and the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) are expected to provide other funding.
Councilor Andrew Wilson, one of five members who called the decision in, said there was an “important question” about why money was being prioritized for the bridge in Lewes over infrastructure needed to support development in Wealden.
He added: “The wider greenway itself also remains at a very, very early stage with significant issues around landowner agreements and there’s a lot of substantial further work to be resolved if this greenway is going to be delivered.”
The scrutiny committee voted not to take further action.
WDC argues the greenway would create a safer, healthier way for people to walk, wheel and cycle between communities, jobs, education, services, rail connections and local green spaces across Wealden, Lewes and the surrounding area.
Not everyone sees the route as compatible with rail ambitions. The Wealden Line Campaign Group believes the corridor would be better used to close what it calls the “infamous gap in Sussex’s rail network.” Members say the planned greenway would end their hopes of restoring the railway between Lewes and Tunbridge Wells.
Brian Hart, from the campaign group, said it was not opposed to a greenway in principle, but warned that a walking and cycling route could not sit immediately beside a working railway.
“You simply cannot have a train coming past the greenway within a couple of feet,” he said. “It must not go near the track because that is sacrosanct.”
Councilor Emily O’Brien, cabinet member for climate, nature and food systems, said the project would “transform how people move between Lewes and Hamsey now,” while also “unlocking a future Lewes to Uckfield route.”
She said: “Schemes like this help tackle the climate emergency while improving people’s wellbeing, strengthening our connection with the incredible landscape on our doorstep and giving people more sustainable travel choices.”
Funding for the Hamsey Bridge project is still being assembled. With two-thirds of the £1.67m total now agreed, the SDNPA decided not to allocate funding this year. At a meeting on September 10, its planning committee did not select the scheme for community infrastructure levy funding.
The proposal remains on the authority’s Infrastructure Business Plan, which is expected to be considered again in September next year. For now, the debate highlights a familiar challenge for local authorities: matching short-term funding decisions with long-term ambitions for housing, transport, climate action and open space.
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Former railway line set to become a cycle route
Wealden District Council