The transport system in Sussex will not be able to cope if 3,500 more houses are built near Burgess Hill, a campaigner has claimed.

Christopher Maidment, who is fighting proposals by the West Burgess Hill Company to build houses to the west of the town, said the A23 and transport infrastructure would need to be improved before any building could go ahead.

The proposals are due to be considered as part of West Sussex County Council's examination in public of its future structure plan, which lays out development and growth in the county until 2016.

Mr Maidment said: "The Highways Agency has rejected the concept of further development in the A23 corridor until transport infrastructure is "considerably improved".

"The recent announcement of major improvements to trunk roads in West Sussex did not mention the A23 in any way.

"As in the last 15 years, no plans are foreseeable to improve the A23 with its daily peak hour bottlenecks and hold-ups, just evaluation. It is a shame this evaluation couldn't have been done before the structure plan was produced."

Mr Maidment added that all rail stations around the town were on the opposite side to the proposed development and would lead to additional journeys of between three and five miles to get to them.

He said: "Whether by car, bus or bicycle, this in turn would force an intolerable strain on an already creaking infrastructure.

"West Burgess Hill is not a sustainable location for further housing development and should be removed from the council's structure plan immediately."

The company was unable to comment although it has repeatedly made assurances in the past that if it were to get the go-ahead it would work to improve transport links in the area.