Decision on Malling not made lightly
THE decision to approve business development at Malling was not made lightly.
Twice the decision was postponed for additional information.
All the relevant planning factors were considered at length.
Local planning authorities have to consider planning law and all the facts, even ones they may not like.
After local consultation for the 2003 Local Plan, most of this land remained designated for industry.
Exhaustive work by officers and planning committee could not find a sound basis for refusing industrial development here which could be sustained at a planning appeal.
Negotiations on the application, and discussions at the committee, yielded improvements.
This development, accepted by some local groups and opposed by others, will if built provide important benefits for the local economy, both modern business space and a new public car park.
As to flooding: after the 2000 floods, the Environment Agency (EA) calculations for Malling included the benefits of protecting both industry and housing.
This justified the high quality flood defence which protects industry and Malling residents from the Ouse.
This development is behind this Malling flood protection. It has no influence on chalk groundwater volumes entering Malling Brook. Surface water here is already pumped out by EA, and the committee insisted the development has surface runoff water storage.
No one can say this area will never flood again, but EA and LDC have given it 1:200 year return protection.
Peter Gardiner
Lead Councillor for Planing,
Lewes District Council
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Weather for Lewes
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 15 C to 21 C
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