Unpopular East Hoathly housing development approved

At a meeting on Thursday (July 16), Wealden District Council’s planning committee south approved outline proposals to build up to 205 homes on the Hesmonds Stud farm site off of Waldron Road, East Hoathly. 

The scheme had proven to be deeply unpopular with local residents, with a total of 931 objections submitted as part of the application process. 

Some of these objections were highlighted at the meeting by ward councillor Geoffrey Draper (Con). He said: “The proposal to build 205 homes within this historic village of 381 homes existing – a 54 per cent increase – is a huge problem for this village. 

“The proposal is outside of the development area, it is within the conservation area and right outside of the development there are, not one, not two, not three, but four listed buildings. 

“Historic England and our own conservation officer in Wealden agree that significant harm will be caused by the development.

“We as officers of this planning committee south have a duty, a statutory duty to preserve listed building heritage assets and we have a duty to prevent any application development which will do otherwise. This will do otherwise.”

Despite these arguments, the scheme had been recommended for approval by Wealden planning officers, largely due to the council’s lack of a five-year housing land supply. 

As the council cannot demonstrate a five-year land supply, national planning rules say sustainable developments should be granted unless the adverse impacts of doing so ‘significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits’.

Officers argued the damage to listed buildings would be ‘less than substantial’ and therefore weighed in the balance against the benefits of the scheme. 

Ultimately, officers concluded that the benefits – mostly in the form of housing supply – outweighed the adverse impacts. 

This argument saw opinions bitterly split on the committee, with some arguing that the balance did not fall in favour of development. 

Proposing the application be refused, Gavin Blake Coggins (Lib Dem, Hailsham East) said: “I am somewhat bemused because recently we had a planning application for 50-odd houses in East Hoathly and that was refused on the strength of the fact the village couldn’t cope with such a large influx of building.

“That being the case, why are we now looking at 200 houses? The same situation is current here. As Cllr Draper said, there are no facilities to support this type of development. It is far too huge for a very small village.

“This is a historic thing; the number of people who have written in with their views. They have to be taken into account, we can’t just shove 900 plus comments away.”

Other committee members saw things differently, however, arguing that the scheme should be seen within the wider picture of Wealden’s housing need.

Johanna Howell (Con, Frant and Wadhurst) said: “These committees have got to make some very difficult decisions and I keep hearing from other councillors that we are going to have to ‘refuse this one and put it somewhere else’.

“Well, where? You don’t want them wherever they are. We have got to make some very, very difficult decisions.

“We do not have a five-year land supply. We have to have some control. If we don’t have any control we lose it and then we have no control over anything. 

“As far as I can see, East Hoathly is as sustainable as any of our other villages in Wealden. Horam had no facilities and it has had thousands of houses. Frant has very few facilities and we’ve got hundreds of houses.

“We have got to make the grown-up decisions and we have got to face up to the grown-up decisions. None of us want this housing, but if we don’t do it, it will be done unto us.”

Following further debate the application was approved with seven votes in favour and three against. As ward member, Cllr Draper did not vote in line with the council’s usual convention.

As an outline application further planning permission is required before development could begin.

The application would also involve the demolition of existing stables buildings and a change of use for the land.

For further information see application reference WD/2016/2796/MAO on the Wealden District Council planning website.

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