Extra Lower Horsebridge homes given reluctant approval

Developers already have outline planning permission from Wealden District Council for 110 homes on the site off North Street.

But they have come back with revised plans for up to 130 homes, with the indicative layout showing the deletion of allotments as well as an area of open space including play equipment in the centre of the site.

When it was discussed by the council’s planning committee south today (Thursday May 28), a number of speakers preferred the previous scheme and voiced concerns about the revisions.

David White (Ind, Hellingly) raised concerns about overdevelopment, inconsistencies with the emerging Hellingly neighbourhood plan and insufficient infrastructure capacity to meet additional new housing, mentioning Southern Water and the Boship roundabout in particular.

Meanwhile Gareth Owen-Williams (LDem, Crowborough Jarvis Brook) felt the original scheme had represented a ‘great compromise’ between developers and the applicant.

Neil Cleaver (LDem, Hailsham North West) added: “To be going from 110 to 130 with no play area and allotment space I just think it’s diabolical. I think the developer is being greedy.”

Officers suggested the revised scheme still had a similar density to other nearby developments and it would be difficult to defend a refusal at appeal.

Since this is an outline application, several members asked officers to negotiate changes to the layout at the reserved matters stage to restore the central play area and retaining allotments on the site.

There are still 2.3 hectares of open space in the south-east corner, but several speakers felt it would be a mistake to put allotments and play equipment there as this part of the site is prone to flooding.

In a recorded statement, Chris Frost, agent for the scheme, said the extra dwellings had been driven by the need to provide a higher proportion of one-and-two-bedroom homes.

He added: “We believe this is an excellent scheme which will provide much needed housing.”

Cllr Owen-Williams urged members to ‘stick to our guns and say the old design was better’, but Johanna Howell (Con, Frant and Wadhurst) said: “I do feel if this was taken to appeal we would lose.”

The application was approved with eight votes to four.

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