'˜13,000 extra homes in Mid Sussex by 2032'

And the population is set to grow much bigger still in future - with a corresponding need for extra homes. According to new figures, the population rise in Mid Sussex is the largest of any other district in the county during the past decade - an increase of almost 12 per cent. And along with the extra people come extra homes - 13,000 new homes are forecast to be built between the period 2010 - 2032. Only neighbouring Horsham is expected to build more during the same period with 16,000 homes expected to be constructed there. Currently the population of Mid Sussex totals 145,651 - but that figure is predicted to rise by 29,194 by 2039, making the district the second most populated in West Sussex, second only to Arun. The figures are contained in a report - West Sussex Life 2017-2019 drawn up by West Sussex County Council - which says that the population increase in Mid Sussex to date has been seen mainly in the large commuter towns of Haywards Heath, Hassocks, Burgess Hill and East Grinstead. There were a total of 31,905 children aged 0-17 living in Mid Sussex last year, an increase of 1,100 since 2011. The number of adults totalled aged between 18-64 totalled 84,766, an increase of 1,018 since 2011. And the number of people aged over 65 in Mid Sussex totalled 28,980 last year, an increase of 3,673 since 2011. The report also outlines property prices in West Sussex and shows that home-buying in Mid Sussex is the most expensive of any area of the whole county. The average cost of a home in Mid Sussex is now £367,793, an increase of 44.5 per cent over the past five years. The next most expensive area for home-buying is Chichester where the average property price is £361,999. The report states: “Whilst house prices dropped from a peak in 2007 they took until 2014 to reach their 2007 levels in the county and now are at their highest ever level.” And, it adds: “As house building has failed to keep pace with the needs of a growing population, this has led to high house prices, with many households struggling to find accommodation they can afford.”