Nicholas Soames, Member of Parliament for Mid Sussex, led a delegation consisting of Councillor Garry Wall; Leader of Mid Sussex District Council, Councillor Norman Webster; Cabinet Member for Planning, Judy Holmes; Assistant Chief Executive of Mid Sussex District Council and Mrs Jo Roche from Save the Ship Campaign, on Monday 8th December, to meet with the Minister for Local Government; Kris Hopkins MP, to discuss the various issues surrounding the Ship Inn in Cuckfield being turned into a Co-op store on a wholly unsuitable site. 

 

The Minister listened carefully to the representations of Nicholas Soames and the Councillors as well as to a powerful presentation from Jo Roche. 

 

A detailed note is to follow from the Council which the Minister and Officials will consider. 

 

Earlier in the day Mr Soames had taken the Councillors and Judy Holmes to meet with Brandon Lewis MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, to discuss a number of planning issues. 

 

Mr Soames said; “It was a very useful meeting and a lot of ground was covered and Mid Sussex’s points were well made and well received.”