Eco-friendly holiday cabins near Haywards Heath could ‘repair damaged ecosystem’ and replace large pheasant shoot

Arley Hill Ventures has applied through its agent Rodway Planning Consultancy to build at Great Bentley Plantation, off Borde Hill Lane.

The proposal for the 3.9-hectare site is to provide five self-contained holiday lodges and convert an existing shed into a new reception building.

A design and access statement by Tom Dunn Architects said: "At the core of the brief for this proposal is the desire to repair the damaged ecosystem of the site while introducing five sensitivity designed short stay accommodation cabins, which allow visitors to be immersed in nature and benefit from the associated wellbeing this provides.”

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The plan for compact luxury overnight accommodation would increase the number of parking spaces from seven to nine with access to the site being via an existing track.

The design and access statement said each cabin has a V shaped roof to capture rainwater while the external cladding will be thermally treated larch or western red cedar to help the cabins blend into their surroundings.

The structures are also designed to be ‘very low energy usage’.

The statement said the site is being used for a large pheasant shoot from October to March. It said the northern portion is woodland that has been felled due to ‘ash die-back’ disease. It said: “The applicant intends for the woodland to regenerate, in part through a replanting grant from the forestry commission, and seeks to establish a series of ‘woodland rides’ which help create a bio diverse broad leaf woodland.”