Concerns over safety outside Crowborough Community Centre ‘falling on deaf ears’

Crowborough Community Assocation (CCA) says concerns raised over safety outside its community centre are ‘falling on deaf ears’.
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The association said it has raised concerns with Wealden District Council over the car park on top of the bank directly above the community centre’s main hall in Pine Grove.

It says the hall and users are ‘in danger from cars plunging down the bank’.

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The car park is part of the Abbey New Homes development which is still under construction.

Clive Wilson, facilities director of Crowborough Community Assocation and Alan Cornish, CCA memberClive Wilson, facilities director of Crowborough Community Assocation and Alan Cornish, CCA member
Clive Wilson, facilities director of Crowborough Community Assocation and Alan Cornish, CCA member

Clive Wilson, facilities director for CCA, said: “The CCA is so disappointed at how little understanding there has been of the community centre’s concerns about the Abbey development.

“We tried so hard, right from the beginning, to get a compromise development with Wealden District Council and its planning officers which would be less harmful to the centre but no-one wanted to listen.

“We are now particularly worried about the steep bank between the community centre and the parking at the top with nothing to stop cars tumbling over.

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“We also tried so hard to get a proper drainage scheme put in place but it fell on deaf ears.”

Alan Cornish, CCA member and Clive Wilson, facilities director of CCAAlan Cornish, CCA member and Clive Wilson, facilities director of CCA
Alan Cornish, CCA member and Clive Wilson, facilities director of CCA

The district council said a number of adjustments had been made to the development following objections.

A spokesman said: “These included the adjustment of the extent of development on the shared boundary with the CCA land and community centre.

“The scheme includes landscaping and boundary treatments to divide the boundary, which were approved at planning stage, and takes into account the difference in levels between the two sites.

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“These will be evident upon completion of the scheme. Drainage details on the site have been approved with expert input from Southern Water and East Sussex County Council Local Lead Flood Authority.

“In addition, the scheme incorporates a system which intercepts surface water and holds it in underground stores before releasing it at a controlled rate. This will be a great improvement to the current situation.

“The land on which the new scheme is now being built was previously owned by Wealden District Council and East Sussex County Council, and both were therefore beneficiaries from the sale. As a gesture of goodwill, the land on which the community centre stands was in fact sold to the CCA for just £1, thus not realising the market value.”

In response to concerns raised by the CCA and others about the reduction in parking spaces, Wealden District Council funded 29 parking spaces on land to the east of Pine Grove in the Croft Road car park.

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A spokesman said: “The council also included additional car parking spaces next to the CCA hall within their planning application, meaning the CCA did not have to pay the planning fee. Officers at the council also worked with them to ensure improved access ways and signage to help people get from the free car park to the CCA facility.

“As a council we have shown ongoing commitment to the Crowborough Community Centre.

“Throughout we have endeavoured to work with the trustees to deliver this facility and support its ongoing success as a valuable resource for Wealden residents. It continues to be disappointing that Mr Wilson‘s comments do not acknowledge or recognise this.”

Abbey New Homes declined to comment.

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