New housing plans for former Eastbourne brickworks

On Tuesday (October 22), Eastbourne Borough Council’s planning committee are to consider an outline application to build a 35-home development at the vacant Woods Cottages site off Langney Rise. 

Development of the site, which has an existing planning permission for ten homes, would involve the in-filling of a pond dug during its former life as a brickworks – leading to concerns around the potential ecological impact on wildlife.

However, planning officers say this issue can be overcome should sufficient mitigation measures be taken. 

In a report recommending  the application be approved, a council planning officer said: “The principle of sustainable development requires environmental objectives to be balanced with economic and social objectives.

“[In] this instance, it is considered that the benefit of providing 35 new dwellings within a sustainable location justifies a recommendation for approval, provided suitable biodiversity enhancement measures are adopted and maintained.”

Other concerns to the scheme have been raised by local residents, particularly around the site access from Swanley Close.

In light of these concerns, planning officers are recommending developers fund road improvements at this junction.

Residents have also raised concerns about the amount of parking available on the site, although officers say the 59 parking spaces proposed would be considered more than adequate.

In all the proposed scheme would be comprised of 11 flats, 19 three-bedroom houses and five four-bedroom houses.

Of these, developers say they would be able to provide five three-bedroom houses as affordable housing. 

While this falls below the national target, planning officers say the number would negotiated as part of any Section 106 legal agreement.

For further details see application reference 190339 on the Eastbourne Borough Council planning website.