Councillors reject East Sussex depot plans as it would cause neighbours ‘adverse disturbance’

On Wednesday (October 14), East Sussex County Council’s planning committee refused a change of use application linked to a commercial yard on land to the south of Hempstead Lane.

Applicant Richard Tanner, of At Grab Services South East Ltd, had been seeking partly-retrospective permission for an aggregate supply depot at the site, which application documents note has been occupied by the business since 2022.

Council planning officers had recommended refusal after judging the noise generated by the business would result in “adverse disturbance to neighbouring occupiers”. Officers had also said the application had not provided sufficient information around highway safety and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG).

This view was endorsed by division councillor William Boone (Reform), who called on committee members to refuse the application.

Cllr Boone said: “I visited the site two months ago. It is a residential area and … aggregate materials etc are simply not right for a residential area. There was a lot of noise [and] dust and work goes on between 8am and 5pm.

“For any residential houses which are around it would be really not right and so I really am hoping this will not go through.”

Similar concerns were raised by a local resident, who is listed only as Mrs Patel in the council’s minutes.

The committee ultimately shared concerns about the proposal and opted to refuse planning permission in line with the officers’ recommendation.

Seconding a motion to refuse, Cllr Kelvin Williams (Lib Dem) said: “It is quite clear that it is causing existing harm and … I personally cannot see any rational reason, given the officers’ report, why we would be supporting this application.”

As well as a formal change of use, the application had sought permission to erect several aggregate storage bays at the south western corner of the site and a two-metre tall acoustic fence around the site’s boundary.

Application documents said the business would have been expected to operate between 7.30am and 5.30pm Monday to Friday and between 9am and 1pm on Saturdays. It would have remained closed on Sundays and bank holidays.

For further information see application reference WD/906/CM on the East Sussex County Council planning portal.