Decision due on major Hellingly housing development

On Thursday (June 18), Wealden District Council’s planning committee south is set to consider outline proposals to build up to 370 new homes at the Park Farm site off New Road.

While the site falls outside of Hellingly’s development boundary, the scheme is recommended for approval by council planning officers, due to both this boundary being considered out-of-date and the district’s lack of housing supply.

In a report to be considered by the committee, a Wealden planning officer said: “The site is contrary to saved policies of the adopted Wealden Local Plan 1998, by virtue of its location outside the development boundary as set out on the proposals map of that plan.

“These policies, which restrict development in the countryside, were based on an assessment carried out in 1998 of the housing requirements up until 2004. 

“In the absence of a five-year housing land supply the effect of these policies, which seek to restrain new development to land within the settlement boundaries, would be to restrict the supply of housing and prevent local housing needs being met. 

“On this basis the issue of housing delivery is considered to be a significant material consideration in favour of the application that outweighs the policy conflict.”

Planning officers continue that “concerns about impact on existing infrastructure” should also not weigh against the proposals. This is because developers will be expected to make financial contributions towards bus services and off-site recreation facilities.

As an outline application, developers are only seeking approval for the principle of developing the site, with details of the design requiring further planning permission at a later date.

The only detail to be agreed as part of the application is the creation of a new access road on to New Road.

According to planning documents, this would be the only (non-emergency) road access to the site, a fact which has seen some concerns raised by a number of objectors, including Hellingly Parish Council. 

In its submission to Wealden’s planning department, a Hellingly Parish Council spokesman said: “The proposed single access road into a development of 370 dwellings is inadequate and unsafe for the amount of additional traffic that will be created. There should be at least a secondary access plus the emergency access route.

“The position of the proposed junction of the estate access and New Road is likely to create additional traffic hazards on the new proposed road linking Park Road and New Road.

“Local infrastructure is not able to currently cope so this additional development will add to the issues already highlighted regarding sewage … water supply, education, heath, transport and roads.”

The parish council also argues that other housing developments in the surrounding area have already resulted in “an unacceptable level of additional traffic passing through Hellingly village”.

Similar concerns around the highways impact have been raised by a number of local residents. 

However, East Sussex Highways have not objected to the scheme, subject to conditions requiring developers to make financial contributions towards junction improvements and other travel measures. 

This includes a £750,000 contribution towards improvement works at the junction of Hempstead Lane, London Road and Hawks Road.

For further information on the proposals see application reference WD/2019/2542/MAO on the Wealden District Council planning website.

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