Decision due on 28 homes on outskirts of Hailsham

Proposals for a housing development on the outskirts of Hailsham are set to go before Wealden planners later this week.
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On Thursday (August 11), Wealden District Council’s Planning Committee South is set to consider an application seeking outline permission to build up to 28 homes on land bordering the Bakers Farm mobile-home park, off of Upper Horsebridge Road.

A previous application to build up to 33 houses on the site had been refused by council officers last year, as they considered it would be an overdevelopment of the site. This was a delegated decision, meaning it had not been debated by the committee before being refused.

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These latest proposals are recommended for approval, however, as officers believe the reduced size of the scheme overcome their previous concerns.

Indicative layout of the homesIndicative layout of the homes
Indicative layout of the homes

In a report to be considered by the committee, a council planning officer said: “There are no adverse impacts of the development that would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of the development proposal. Therefore the presumption in favour of sustainable development is applicable.

“In light of that and whilst noting the comments from all consultees and those who have lodged representations, it is recommended that outline planning permission be granted subject to the completion of a legal agreement and the conditions set out in this report.”

This view is not shared by local residents, who have submitted more than 40 letters of objection to the scheme. These concerns are wide-ranging and include concerns around flooding as well as impact on infrastructure and local ecology.

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Similar objections have been raised by Hellingly Parish Council. It said the site had a history of flooding, had two public sewers running across it, while access to the A271 is an issue. The objection also raised concerns about the impact on those living at the neighbouring Bakers Farm Park complex which is home to mainly elderly and retired residents.

As an outline scheme, the application is only seeking in-principle approval for the houses, with details of their design and layout to come forward as part of a later application.

However, approval would confirm detailed plans for a site access from Upper Horsebridge Road. These plans have not seen objections raised by East Sussex Highways.

For further information on the proposals see application reference WD/2021/3029 on the Wealden District Council website.

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