Barnham homes opposed

Southcott Homes wants to redevelop the site of Greenoaks on Barnham Road with the small estate.

The issue was the subject of much public concern during a meeting of Eastergate Parish Council.

During the meeting resident Roy Campbell expressed concerns regarding the sewage system.

He said: "The proposed idea of a soak away could cause some major problems. If for some reason it stopped working, what would happen then.

"The soak away could easily be polluted with cleaning products and other things people put down sinks, and there is no way to control that, you can't monitor the household products people use."

Cllr Alan Campion said: "The area is well known for flooding and sewage problems and this development has the potential to add to that so it needs to be looked at carefully.

"The soak away system can be very effective in ships but that it is a very controlled environment, if the system were to stop working for any reason then it could take two to three weeks to put them back into operation."

The company's revised application for the redevelopment of the land includes the erection of 13 new dwellings consisting of four two-bedroom semi-detached houses, four three-bedroom semi-detached houses, four detached homes with four-bedrooms and a five-bedroom detached structure.

All dwellings would have associated access, car parking and landscaping.

The site of 1.2 acres currently comprises a single detached house with a large garden of almost half an acre.

Its western boundary adjoins a field which forms part of the Barnham to Eastergate gap intended to stop the two settlements from merging.

In a statement submitted with the application Southcott Homes said: "The design of the new residential development has considered the character and form of the existing site."