Fifty new homes to be built in Ashurst Wood - but none of them will be classed as affordable.

An application was submitted to Mid Sussex District Council to demolish Wealden House, in Lewes Road, and the adjoining former EDF building and replace them with 15 flats and 35 houses. The plans, from Ashgrove Homes Ltd, were given the nod by the planning committee on Thursday (June 1).

A report to the committee said the applicant had proved that the development would not be financially viable if the expected 30 per cent of affordable homes was included. The news did not site well with Richard Bates (Lib Dem, Haywards Heath Ashenground), who described the situation as ‘baffling’.

But chairman Dick Sweatman (Con, East Grinstead Herontye) said: “The EDF building is bomb-proof, so the actual costs of taking that down has made the development less viable.”

That could change later down the line when a viability review will be held to reassess the situation and get more accurate information about costs.

This was not the first time the committee had considered an application for the Wealden House site. In 2019, they refused plans to build 54 flats on the site, only to see the decision overturned on appeal to the planning inspectorate.

That planning permission expires in November. The latest application, which was described as a ‘much improved scheme’ includes 105 car parking spaces – which is fewer than the number advised under West Sussex County Council’s standards.

All of the houses will include EV charging points, as per building regulations, and the committee added a condition which required Ashgrove Homes to add charging points in the car park outside the flats.

The application was approved by 8 votes to 1.

To view the plans in full, log on to pa.midsussex.gov.uk and search for DM/22/2832.