Call for sites in Wealden for housing

An assessment of available land throughout the Wealden district, which can be used to support future development, is getting under way as a statutory part of the council’s new Local Plan Process.

Wealden District Council has had to go back to the drawing board after its previous plan was thrown out by a government inspector earlier this year.

The assessment will include sites proposed for housing, economic and retail development, gypsy and traveller accommodation, green infrastructure, community facilities, tourism and leisure uses, and renewable energy schemes.

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Housing includes provision for elderly people, families and younger households. Economic development can include warehouses, factories and offices.

Ann Newton, the council’s cabinet member for planning and development, said, “As the district continues to grow, it is important we find suitable locations for jobs, leisure and health facilities. We will also need to factor in land use which can ensure we are carbon neutral by 2050, if not sooner.

“We want to take account of all the available land in the district to make sure the Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) we carried out for our earlier Local Plan is fully up to date. This will give us the best mix in our future Local Plan.

“Our assessment will include both individual sites, where we may expect to see development take place over the next five years, and broader locations where we may see activity over the next 15 years.”

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Wealden’s call for sites and broad locations will last from now until August 10.

The council will be getting in touch with landowners, developers and agents who submitted land for consideration through the council’s earlier SHELAA exercises to see if the land continues to be available.

But it also wants to hear from people who did not take part in the previous assessment and may have land which they would like to be considered.

Sites may have been previously developed. In such cases, they may also be included in the council’s register of so called Brownfield Land.

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The council’s SHELAA exercise does not include that part of Wealden that lies in the South Downs National Park.

The inclusion of land in a Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment does not necessarily mean it will get planning permission or be allocated for development in the next Local Plan.

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