Massive housing plan scaled down

Two years ago Pelham Homes, now known as Pelham Holdings, was refused permission to build 2,200 homes. It now wants to build 520.

The Kent-based developer has abandoned plans to build 1,200 homes to the north of the roundabout and has almost halved the number of flats to the west of the A22 and the south of the roundabout from 1,000 to 520.

Its plans also include a primary school, a health centre and a small convenience store.

But the developer has dropped its offer to pay for and build a link road to the A27 because the reduction in the number of homes means the company will make less money, and also because the Regional Transport Board has agreed, in principle, to provide funding for the road in 2016.

The developer has also dropped an offer to build a train station on the site opposite the Stud Farm Estate, Polegate.

Pelham Holdings said residents and Railtrack opposed the station.

The planned site for the homes is also smaller than the site proposed in 2006 and takes up 29.46 hectares, of which 10.68 hectares will be open space.

Neil Warren, a director of Pelham Holdings, said: 'We have worked hard over the past two years to improve our plans and to respond to the feedback received from the local community and stakeholders in 2006.

'My team look forward to hearing what the local community think of the revised plans at our exhibition this weekend.'

The company will unveil the plans at public exhibition at the United Reformed Church Hall on Victoria Road, Polegate, today (Friday) from 3pm to 9pm, and tomorrow from 12.30pm to 5.30pm.

A spokesman for the developer said it hoped to lodge an outline planning application in mid July.

The previous plans were rejected by Wealden District Council in October 2006. It objected on the grounds the development was larger than the non-statutory local plan, was in an area of parkland and raised concerns about access to the site.