East Sussex residents object in large numbers to business park expansion plans

An outline planning application for 60,000 sqm of commercial space over a 75-acre site on the Ashdown Business Park has been submitted to Wealden District Council.

Wealden residents have complained in their hundreds to these plans. The protest group Stop Ashdown Business Park Expansion (SABRE) say the expansion would cause the destruction of agricultural land equivalent to 45 football pitches.

On their planning objection guidebook, SABRE write: “This development would cause the loss of the strategic gap/buffer between Maresfield/Uckfield and the rural hamlet of Piltdown and set precedents that would affect Isfield, Little Horsted, Coopers Green and Five Ash Down.

“It would also cause substantial adverse effects on the local highway network, especially the A272 and A22 which are already congested, especially at peak times, and push traffic avoiding congestion/queues onto country lanes north, west and south of Uckfield.”

Developers say business scheme could deliver up to 3,000 jobs for local people. Chris Lawson, of Lawson Commercial, told SussexWorld the expansion was necessary to cater for the district's ever-growing population.

He points out how, with no Local Plan, new residential housing development in the District could increase by a further 2,500 homes.

Chris said: “Where are people going to work? Where are the jobs for our children and grandchildren going to come from? Will they have to leave to find employment? Residents of Fletching, Maresfield and Buxted should stop jumping up and down with their Nimbyist protests.

“If business cannot expand and flourish then the communities will surely die. I receive two enquiries every working day, sometimes more, for industrial and warehouse space. It is not available in Wealden north. This is why this new business park is absolutely essential."

Andrew Samuel, of agents Samuel and Son, added: "With a severe shortage of employment land within the area,there is unprecedented demand for this type of commercial development space. But it's important that much more is included as well. There would be high levels of biodiversity net gain and we have referred to historic maps to augment and improve what was originally there."

SABRE members also believe the proposal would cause irreversible damage to priority wetland habitats and create substantial harm to the character of this part of the Low Weald Landscape Area.

HAVE YOU READ THIS?

East Sussex town sees plans to turn auction rooms into 10 new homes

Homes and commercial buildings at former Ringmer chicken farm

Call for improvements to 'inadequate' pedestrian crossings in Peacehaven

However, Chris pointed out that the new application includes 25 acres of landscaping, retaining three acres of existing wetland and 2.3 acres of lakes and an additional planting of some 10,000 trees.

Despite this, SABRE are still concerned that no assessment of the downstream flooding risk has been carried out in the application. Residents say the run-off of contaminated water from proposed roads, car parks and rooftops would have an “detrimental impact” on local ecosystems and significantly increase the likelihood of flooding downstream.

The group say the understand the need to provide jobs and homes for our children, but not at the cost of their climate and their natural world.