As a proud resident of Sussex, albeit from the confines of the urban heart of Brighton with some of the best transport links in the country, I have a keen interest in the sustainability of our many rural towns and villages. We are all interdependent on one another and whilst a lot of the wealth in Sussex is inherited, based on retirement incomes generated elsewhere our as a result of the daily travel to London, nevertheless the capacity of Sussex to raise basic incomes for the rest of us does depend in part on strengthening transport connections across the two Counties. Sadly nowhere else can match the riches of Brighton & Hove when it comes to travel, although many residents of the city do manage to find fault with services, and nothing is perfect. Sussex is widely recognised as having very few miles of high class roads compared to comparable areas as a result of decades of neglect by successive Governments, and in many parts of Sussex the levels of car ownership is far lower than in other locations. The hills create challenges to those of us who enjoy cycling, but are not as fit as we want to be. This leaves the two main types of public transport. Trains are strong along the coastal route and the mainline Brighton to London route. There are other routes that act as spokes into the hub of London, but none that can match the Brighton line despite its serious overcrowding. I wrote about the Uckfield link a few days ago here. This then leaves our buses. As an area Sussex has some great bus companies that have worked to help sustain the rural communities, usually relying on funding from the taxpayer. Over a number of years I have had the privilege of meeting some of the bus ‘moguls’ whose commitment to their craft is no less dedicated than Eric Gill and his colleagues in the Guild of St Joseph and St Dominic. Tom Hawthorne of RDH Coaches in Wivlesfield, Tom Druitt of the Big Lemon, Chris Chatfield of Compass Travel (Sussex) and prior to his retirement Roger French of Brighton & Hove Buses. Although Roger was part of the massive Go-Ahead group by the time he retired, he was a real bus operator just below the surface.

The rural economy of Sussex is a vital part of the two Counties, and ensuring that as many of the settlements are able to develop a sustainable future is a matter that should concern all of us. A great deal of work has been carried out by Action in Rural Sussex along with other voluntary sector organisations to calculate the cost of living in communities that may not have a single GP practice, or a bus stop that is any more than a historical artefact. This amounts to at least £3,000 more a year than for people in similar situations in one of our larger towns. That is why the announcement by the Southern Transit Bus Company regarding a new route is so important. It will offer the only public transport link between  Shoreham and Horsham that follows the route of the defunct Downslink railway line which is now a footpath and cycleway. The number 3 bus will visit Bramber, Steyning, Henfield, Partridge Green, West Grinstead and Southwater before terminating at Horsham train station. The service has been funded entirely from the resources of the owner of the Bus company, Neil Bird.

Well done Neil for putting your money where your mouth is. I hope that the route is a great success and that the people visiting this part of West Sussex will take advantage of this new resource, and the residents of the villages will be able to benefit from this potentially vital economic lifeline.