Campaign to save Seaford’s Chyngton field from housing development

Lewes District Council’s draft local plan documents have the site as deliverable for 40 homes. The Council has not had a local plan in place since the previous local plan expired in May 2021. According to Caulfield this means that green spaces like Chyngton Field are no longer protected from development.

Councillor Sam Adeniji said: “These proposed homes would probably be unaffordable to many residents of Seaford, Chyngton Field is not within walking distance of schools, shops, medical and other facilities. There is no public transport close to the Chyngton Field.

“Whilst I understand that no decisions have been made about any of the sites highlighted by LDC in their Development Capacity Study and of the Land Availability Assessment, over the years I and my Conservative colleagues have campaigned successfully to prevent any development on Chyngton fields as it a gateway to the South Downs National Park and the South Hill Barn, building on this site would bring urbanisation into this special area. Hence the need for the site to be retained for protection, I will do all I can to prevent this site from being built on.”

Maria Caulfield MP said: “I am fully supporting councillor Adeniji’s campaign to save this vital green space, we as local Conservatives have long been pushing Lewes District Council to pursue a brown-field first policy and to not build on our precious green fields. The District Council must listen to local residents concerns on this.”

Councillor Laurence O’Connor, Cabinet Member for Planning and Infrastructure, said: “Councillor Adeniji has said that the previous coalition at Lewes District Council allowed the local plan to become out of date. That is not the case.

“In 2018, the government in effect doubled their expectations on housing delivery and the council found that the amount of previously identified land to build upon was not enough.

“The Government changing the rules halfway through the period of the plan has caused this problem, which now means that a new local plan has to be drafted. The Chyngton Field site and others across the district are currently being assessed, with the draft plan due for consultation later this year.”