East Sussex villagers gather in protest of proposal to build 280 homes

Residents of Hellingly protested on the public footpath running through the proposed development site at Shawpits Farm and unfurled a 40-foot banner reading: “Hellingly say no to destroying this landscape for 280 houses”.

The plans submitted to Wealden District Council propose the “erection of up to 280 dwellings including affordable housing, together with the formation of a new access and reconfiguration at Mill Lane, formal and informal open space, landscape planting, drainage infrastructure and associated works”.

But the proposal has prompted concerns from local residents about flooding, sewage capacity, traffic, wildlife and the continuing loss of the village's rural landscape.

Dr Colin Tourle MBE, 83, has lived at Brook Cottage in Mill Lane for 56 years and worked as a GP in the community for 50 years.

Dr Tourle said he is ‘deeply concerned’ about the proposed development’s potential impact on flood risk, adding that while new homes are necessary, they should be built ‘in the right places’.

Marie Stone, whose land at Kenwood Brook borders Mill Lane beside the River Cuckmere, has experienced the behaviour of water in the area for more than two decades.

She said: “We have owned our land at Kenwood Brook for 22 years and over that time we have seen first-hand how water runs down from the fields and how quickly the land can become saturated.

“After periods of prolonged rain, the amount of water coming down Mill Lane can be incredible, with the bottom of our land and our access flooding. With up to 280 houses proposed further up the land, we are very concerned about the additional run-off and the effect this could have, not only on our land but on other residents in the area who already experience flooding.

“But it is about much more than flooding. This is a beautiful rural part of Hellingly with the River Cuckmere, fields, wildlife and an established landscape that has been here for generations. A development of this scale would permanently change the character of the area.

“It would be incredible to see Shawpits Farmhouse and land considered for something that works with the natural setting rather than replacing it. A countryside retreat, spa or similar use could bring something positive to the area, giving people the opportunity to enjoy the landscape and nature while supporting wellbeing and the local community. Once this countryside is covered with houses, that opportunity is gone forever.”

Residents shared concerns about the additional traffic that hundreds of new homes would generate on Mill Lane, Station Road and the surrounding road network, with fears increased traffic would make the area ‘busier, less safe and increasingly urban in character’.

Villagers also raised concerns about the impact on nearby historic buildings, including the Grade II* listed watermill, Mill Bridge and the Grade II listed medieval Shawpits house.

Serena Schellenberg, who is helping organise the residents' campaign, acknowledged the need for new homes but said ‘that doesn't mean every beautiful piece of countryside is the right place to build them’.

She added: “Shawpits is part of what makes Hellingly Hellingly. It is open countryside crossed by a much-loved public footpath, surrounded by wildlife, historic buildings and the River Cuckmere.

“We are asking Wealden District Council to look at the whole picture: the flooding we already experience, our overloaded infrastructure, the traffic on rural roads, the ecology and heritage of this landscape, and the cumulative impact of development on our village.

“Once a landscape like this has gone, we can never get it back.”