PROTESTERS who put up signs against a new housing development have been forced to take them down.

South of Folders Lane Action Group (SOFLAG) in Burgess Hill erected signs on Folders Lane and Keymer Road enscribed with “Say no to 1,000 houses”.

On Monday, however, the group was issued with a 72-hour notice to take them down or face prosecution and a possible £110,000 fine. As of today, the signs have been taken down.

Peter Martin, Mid-Sussex District councillor for Hassocks, said SOFLAG “should have known better”.

Councillor Martin said he and “at least one or two other councillors” had advised the council to issue the notice as the signs required planning permission, which was not obtained.

He said: “Obviously we are not going to come down like a tonne of bricks on estate agents or church fête [signs], but these were over the top and a bit silly.”

Despite this, Coun Martin has a history of opposing housing developments and asserted “hell will freeze over” before 1,000 houses are built on the site south of Folders Lane.

SOFLAG chairman Jerry Batte accused the council of double standards over the signs, arguing they were for public service not advertising.

He said: “You see signs put up by developers all over Burgess Hill and I will tell you now they don’t have planning permission, but have they been threatened with prosecution? Is there anything wrong in a group of people wanting to save their countryside?”

SOFLAG has seen a substantial increase in membership since they introduced the signs, which they had intended to leave up until the public rejection deadline for a further 74 houses on April 9.