New Bexhill homes part of bowls club site approved

On Thursday (April 14), Rother District Council’s planning committee approved an application from developer Court Developments Limited to build eight two-bedroom houses at the Gulliver’s Bowls Club, in Knole Road.

As well as housing, the scheme also promises the construction of a new club house building and the refurbishment of an indoor bowls rink on the site.

Speaking on behalf of the club, Sandra Balchin told the committee these facilities would help secure the future of the club. She said: “I cannot stress enough the dreadful impact on Gulliver’s Bowls Club should we fail in this application. Court Developments, a local company, can make this work for us. 

“Court Developments have demonstrated that they care about the future of the club and want to build something to be proud of in the centre of Bexhill. I can assure you that this is not just a money making scheme. 

“The proposed mews cottages will provide the funds to redevelop our bowls club. It will provide us facilities we can be proud of.”

She added: “The alternative is that in as little as 18 months to two years the leaks in the roof over our indoor rink get worse and our bowling carpet is destroyed and the repairs are so bad and desperate that no one can keep the club going.

“We will be forced to close. Everything would become derelict and the site would be boarded up, just like the Grand Hotel in Sackville Road, a complete eyesore for decades. There will be no asset for the community, no green space for people to fight for.”

While it had been recommended for approval by officers, the scheme had proven unpopular with a significant number of local residents, who argued the loss of green space as a result of the development was ‘unacceptable’.

These objectors had been supported by both Bexhill Town Council and the Cantelupe Community Association as well.

These views were also shared by several members of the committee, including Cllr Lynn Langlands (Ind), who said: “We don’t have much green space in Bexhill. This was given to us by Earl De La Warr as a lung in the eastern part of the town.

“I feel that all we have done today is discuss finances. I’m sorry, but I feel it has been as basic as that. If we don’t do this, nothing will survive and therefore it will just go into more housing.

“I just think we have to take out the financial implications of not agreeing this site and we need to get back to viewing this site as a very, very valuable green space.” 

Other committee members felt differently, however.

Cllr John Barnes (Con) said: “At the end of the day I think we have to take a decision on what we have. On balance, I think this has got to be better for Bexhill than the alternative.

“The alternative, it seems to me, is that the bowls club will collapse. Nobody seems willing to step in to take over this land and maintain it as green open space.”

Cllr Kathy Harmer (Ind) added: “I’m definitely all for saving green space, big time. But my concern is if this doesn’t happen we will lose the green space we’ve got. 

“We have to be careful what we wish for, because we know that 39 flats were proposed previously [for this site]. I do know this is a lovely little club with dedicated volunteers, who do everything from put buckets under a leak to fixing you name it. 

“So I think I would have to support this application to preserve what we do have and enhance it.”  

Following further discussion, the application was approved on a majority decision.

The site itself has a complex planning history, having been subject to a series of controversial applications for more than 15 years. Court Developments were not involved in the previous applications, however, having first become involved in the site in 2020.

For further information on the proposals see application reference RR/2021/1455/P on the Rother District Council website.