closure as unremunerative in the first Beeching report published in 1963. Opposition from the many railway travellers resulted. Their case used a motorway costing formula to show that the users would waste some in excess travel compared to BR's calculated loss of only . In the end the TUCC upheld the users' complaints and the line did not close. In early 1968 BR made another attempt to close the line. This time the Transport Minister, Barbara Castle, requested more information from BR, which was furnished to her successor, Richard Marsh, who took over as Transport Minister in April 1968. Structural problems with the bridge over Cliffe High Street in Lewes were identified, which necessitated single line working, with a revised timetable with trains connecting at Barcombe Mills in place. From the information requested by his predecessor, and of all the scenarios that were examined by the Minister, he agreed in August 1968 to the closure of the Lewes to Uckfield section of line. Considerable opposition from the users centred, in the first instance, around the inadequate replacement bus service – which had Ministerial approval. The issue was resolved by the Transport Commissioners who, on examination of all the complaints from the users and undertaking the journey themselves, upheld the users' complaints. However concerns over the state of the bridge over Cliffe High Street remained and finally the BR Chief Civil Engineer declared the bridge unsafe. The last train at Isfield was on 24 February 1969 but a rail replacement bus service operated until 6 May, with the station closing on that date, the tickets latterly being sold from the signal box. In late 1968, BR had again applied to close the remaining section of the line, from Uckfield to Hurst Green Junction. This was refused in January 1969 by the Minister as there was a social need for the line and, in accordance with Section 39 of the Transport Act 1968, a subsidy could be paid with Treasury approval for a three-year period. The route between Lewes and Uckfield has been protected from development in various local and structure plans since the mid-1970s. This attempts to ensure that nothing further is built which could prevent the line from re-opening. This planning policy protection still remained in force in 2008. Sale of the track bed and stations was postponed for some 15 years by a number of unsuccessful attempts to re-open