Residents of Hurstpierpoint, a Sussex village near the South Downs, are protesting against draft council plans that could see nearly 5,900 new homes built nearby, which they fear will merge the village with the neighbouring village of Hassocks and the town of Burgess Hill into a single urban sprawl. The proposals, part of the draft Mid-Sussex District Plan and linked to the Government's target of 1.5 million new homes across England by 2029, have prompted campaigners to form the group "Keep Hurst a Village" and organise protest marches to preserve the area's rural character.

Campaigners, including resident Paula Mearns and organiser Laura Galloway, argue infrastructure such as schools is already at capacity and warn of chaos from increased traffic and population. Contested sites include a 750-home development spanning four parishes and a renewed proposal for 109 houses on College Lane, a green buffer between Hurstpierpoint and Hassocks that was previously rejected in 2013. Campaigners have criticised Mid Sussex District Council's public consultation as flawed and say they have had little support from their local MP, while Liberal Democrat MP Alison Bennett has blamed central Government for the scale of the housing targets.