Up to 125 homes at East Sussex mill and oast house site approved
Plans for a major housing development in Robertsbridge have been given the go ahead.
Rother District Council’s planning committee approved an application for the Hodson’s Mill site in Northbridge Street on November 12.
The bid, from Homes England, sought permission to build up to 125 homes on the site. Some would come from converting the former mill building and redeveloping a Grade II listed oast house.
The committee heard from Cllr Sean O’Hara, vice-chairman of Salehurst and Robertsbridge Parish council, who said: “The parish council strongly supports this application.
“As far as we are concerned it is by far and away the best possible outcome for this site, currently a basically derelict concrete wasteland with the exception of the mill building, the oast house, which is also unfortunately completely falling pieces, and the World War 2 pill box.”
He added: “If it does not go ahead then we can realistically expect that all that will happen is that the mill building will collapse and we will be left with even more rubble on the site. This gives us a fantastic opportunity to provide a big new area of living space in a village, but done in a sensitive manner preserving the heritage assets that are on the site.”
Cllr O’Hara also highlighted council concerns about traffic during construction.
Support also came from ward councillor Sue Prochak and an agent representing Homes England.
Councillors agreed to approve the application in line with a recommendation from officers.
As a hybrid application the approved proposals cover outline planning permission for the principle of developing the site and full detailed planning permission for the mill building and oast house.
Under the full planning permission, the oast house is set to be dismantled and rebuilt, with the redeveloped structure providing two three-bedroom homes.
The mill building is set to be converted to provide two retail/community units and resident cycle and refuse storage on the ground floor, as well as eight two-bed flats and a single one-bed flats on the upper three floors.
Councillors also approved a listed building consent application for oast house proposals.
The site has been vacant since 2001. In November 2021, part of it of the site secured permission for 96 homes but this consent has now expired.
Homes England, which is the government’s housing and regeneration agency, took over the site in March 2024 after the previous plans proved to be ‘undeliverable’.
For further information see applications RR/2026/0600/OUT and RR/2026/0610/LBC on the Rother District Council planning portal.