Ashdown residents concerned over allotment survey

Controversially, the quarries in Turkey Road remain in the draft county waste plan as a potential landfill site.

A quarter-mile strip of Rother-administered allotments (pictured) run between Ellerslie Lane and the Fairway. The county-owned land is being held in readiness as a potential access road to Bexhill High School's Gunters Lane site.

The High School is currently run from the old Down Road building and the new Gunters Lane building. The long-term plan is to build a second phase on the Gunters Lane site and sell the Down Road site. There is also a plan to move King Offa School to new premises at Gunters Lane.

But neighbours whose homes back on to the allotments are concerned that recent survey activity on the land is preparation for a far bigger road to open access from the A259 Little Common Road, up Knebworth Road and Summerhill Road, through the allotments and out into Turkey Road

One retired resident of The Fairway who wrote seeking assurance from the county council after previous survey activity last year, told the Observer: "We have been here 5 years. As far as we are concerned, this place is ideal.

"I don't want to lose that and have heavy lorries thundering past our back garden."

A reply from the county estates department last May confirmed that the land is held by the county education department as a potential access road for the school but that no funds currently existed for this project.

A county council spokesman told the Observer this week that the land was owned by the county council and licensed to Rother for use as allotments.

He said the only staff from the county's estates department who had visited the site recently had been to carry out a survey for a rent review.

"If the enquirer has seen other people on the site, they are nothing to do with county council estates."

When the Observer approached him, Cllr Gubby immediately undertook some research into the reports that surveys were being undertaken.

He has spoken with senior county officers including director of transport and environment Bob Wilkins and been assured: "I have investigated further. I can confirm that there are no preparatory works by the county council to provide improved access to the brickworks.

"Having spoken to colleagues in the property arm of the corporate resources department, they tell me that they have had consultants carrying out a feasibility study into the total or partial move of Bexhill High School to Gunters Lane on behalf of colleagues in children's services. At present the school buildings are unsatisfactory and on split sites.

"Part of the study has been to assess potential impact on the highways, and likely amelioration measures and safe routes to schools proposals SHOULD any scheme get into the capital programme. I stress that there is no scheme in the programme at present. The feasibility study MAY inform a future bid for a scheme in the capital programme.

"The report of this work was received by the county council on April 13. It is possible that surveys carried out as part of the study have sparked the rumour."