Decision to OK flats slammed

Permission has been granted for 28 flats in Lewes.

Council planners have used delegated powers to agree to a housing development on land to the south and west of the former Clayhill Nurseries in Malling Street.

Lewes protest group, Residents Against Inappropriate Development (RAID), criticised the decision and said the application should have passed to the council's planning committee.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But planners have stood by the decision and said the application was described by Lewes Town Council as an 'interesting and exciting development'.

Rita Ellis, chairwoman of RAID, said: 'It's that big it should have gone to committee.

'It's on the floodplain and it should have gone to the council's committee to enable the general public to have their say and for the councillors to make the decision, not the officers.'

In response to the criticisms a council spokesman said: 'Lewes District Council can confirm that during the public consultation for this application there were three letters of objection received from Malling Residents Association, Residents Against Inappropriate Development and one individual resident letter.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

'There were no objections raised by any statutory consultee (Environmental Health, Highways, Environment Agency, Natural England, South East Water, Southern Water, Sussex Police, Transco, Health and Safety Executive, District Land Valuer, Housing Officer and Tree Officer).

'Objections raised were considered at the delegated stage. The issues raised included noise, traffic, land use, flooding and numbers of affordable units proposed.

'As these issues had not be objected to by statutory consultees the objections were considered unsustainable.'

The public consultation period for objecting to the development ran from April 18 to May 16, 84 letters were sent out to local business and residents before approval was granted on May 30.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Lewes Town Council's planning committee considered the application in January and concluded: 'Members commended the application as an interesting and exciting development of the site and welcomed the sustainable approach in the construction of the buildings and the attention to detail.

'Councillors were impressed by several concepts embodied within the proposals and applauded the developers responsiveness to points raised during consultation'.