Barcombe Cross housing development controversy: councillors and residents react to planning inspector’s decision to greenlight 70 homes

A decision notice published on December 13 said the plan for building up to 70 homes on land to the west of Barcombe Mills Road has been greenlit by a planning inspector.

Gladman Developments’ outline application had been refused by Lewes District Council in March because of fears about its possible impact on the nearby Grade II listed Mongers Farmhouse and the loss of agricultural land.

This week, Green Party councillors said they have written to Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Housing and Communities, calling on him to overturn all recent decisions by the Planning Inspector to build on green spaces.

District councillor Joa Saunders (Chailey Barcombe and Hamsey) said: “It’s so shocking that the government is allowing the fertile soil of Blackcurrant Field to be built on, while at the same time claiming to be protecting high quality agricultural land.”

The Greens said the government had recently promised to protect agricultural land from development. The Times recently reported that changes revealed by Mr Gove meant local authorities would not have to earmark greenfield land for new homes. The Times said councils would also get an exemption from building new homes on prime agricultural land.

Lewes District Councillor Mark Slater (Chailey Barcombe and Hamsey) said: “We are calling on Michael Gove to stand by his word and overturn this decision.”

He said: “The government can’t in one breath say it is going to grant new protections and then allow its own inspector to ignore that decision.”

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Barcombe resident Stuart Arnold said: “It is incomprehensible how the Planning Inspector reached the conclusion he did when so much detailed evidence was provided throughout the planning process (by more than 200 local residents).”

Stuart said the proposed homes would cause ‘significant harm’ and said the Inspector’s decision dismissed concerns about the proposal conflicting with planning policies ‘with a sweeping statement that given the shortfall in housing in LDC, the benefits outweigh the harm’. He said this suggested that ‘nothing can stop the need to build more houses’.

Stuart continued: “It adds insult to injury that this decision came on the eve of the long-awaited revised national planning framework that was announced by Michael Gove last week, which gives better protections for prime agricultural land.” He said the timing of the Planning Inspector’s decision ‘has not been lost on the local community’.

Councillor Laurence O’Connor, Cabinet Member for Planning at Lewes District Council, said: “When it comes to planning, there is no constructive dialogue or balance in the relationship between the government and local authorities, it’s a one-way street, all stick and no carrot.”

He said: “A very reasoned and balanced decision was made to refuse the application, based on the facts that this development would be on good quality agricultural land outside of any agreed planning boundaries and it would impact upon a Grade II listed building. Yet, the government’s planning inspector has decided to run roughshod over these conclusions and the views of local people. This repeated imposition of decision making makes a mockery of the government’s previous policy of encouraging ‘localism’.”

Gladman Developments' Ltd were also approached for comment.