Lewes District Green Party councillors furious with ‘bullying’ developers and ‘broken’ planning system

Developer Croudace Homes Ltd decided to take their proposals for Broyle Farm in Ringmer to the government planning inspector, rather than putting it before a local planning committee.

Lewes District Green Councillors have accused the developers of ‘bullying’ and said that the Government’s ‘broken’ planning system is allowing developers to ‘ride roughshod’ over local people’s right to have a say on building on green spaces.

Councillor Emily O’Brien said: “This is yet another way that democratic and accountable local decision making is bypassed and undermined by developers backed up by the Government’s broken national planning rules.

"Officers at Lewes District Council have told me that they do not consider that the application is ready for a planning committee, as issues relating to landscape, drainage or highways are not resolved.

"Yet the council is powerless to prevent a developer from appealing to the Government Inspector for 'non-determination' after just 13 weeks regardless of what still needs sorting.

"Croudace has refused to engage with the council, - to give time for resolving outstanding technical matters - presumably thinking the government inspector is a better bet to get what it wants.”

In January, Croudace Homes submitted proposals to the council, outlining planning permission to build up to 100 homes and sports facilities on land at Broyle Gate Farm, next to Kings Academy.

The same developer had previously sought planning permission to develop the site in 2014 (then for 70 houses), but the application was refused.

It was refused on the grounds it would have an adverse impact on the countryside and the whole site had been allocated for sports and recreational use in the local and neighbourhood plans.

Croudace said the current need for housing in the district means there is a ‘very different planning policy background’, which they argue means development should now be approved.

At the time of submission, councillors called the proposals ‘speculative’ and believed Ringmer residents were ‘under siege’ from a ‘blizzard’ of planning applications.

The Green Party councillors now hope the government planning inspector agrees with their views that the key issues in the application have not been resolved.

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