Fresh plan for Sharnfold Farm

Another plan has been released for Sharnfold Farm at Stone Cross.
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The owners of the farm on the old Eastbourne to Hailsham road have already made clear their intention to build up to 400 homes on the site and have now revealed plans for a creative arts and business hub within disused farm buildings.

According to an application submitted to Wealden council last month, the farm’s owners Hop Farm Real Estate Ltd wants to change the use of redundant agricultural buildings to provide flexible workspaces for the creative arts industry and business uses.

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It would involve demolishing some outbuildings but renovating some historic structures, which are visible on historic maps from the early 19th century and are described in the Westham Tithe Apportionments of 1838 as being owned by Lord Burlington – William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire – leased by

The proposed business hub at Sharnfold Farm SUS-200712-114245001The proposed business hub at Sharnfold Farm SUS-200712-114245001
The proposed business hub at Sharnfold Farm SUS-200712-114245001

Charles Langford and associated with Peelings Farm.

In a design and access statement, a spokesperson for the applicant said, “The overall concept is to create a business centre which will encourage and support

new and established small businesses involved in creative industries including designers, artists, makers, craftspeople, digital creators and start-ups.

“This can be achieved by consolidating the best of the built assets on the site and enhancing the qualities of the buildings by sensitively converting, remodelling and extending.

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“The existing buildings group is to be transformed into a Creative Business Hub by removing those agricultural buildings of poor quality or unsuitable for conversion, convert the good quality traditional buildings and remodel and extend buildings of appropriate quality to support the anticipated new uses.

“The demand and need for more convenient flexible workspaces already existed but, this has been accentuated by the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Sharnfold Farm currently operates a farm shop, butcher, café, parking area, formal and informal play areas, a caravan club certified site, PYO fruit and vegetables and commercial coarse fishing lakes.

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