Scaffolding depot quashes couple's dreams of home birth

A BEXHILL couple's hopes of having their first baby at home have been dashed by the noise and disruption of a scaffolding store opening on the other side of their garden wall.

Chef Graeme Harding and his wife, Lisa, both in their 30s, claim the depot shouldn't even be there. They live in Windsor Road, and yet a site plan showed it sited next to Reginald Road, the next street along from theirs.

A design and access statement also made several references to Reginald Road, and alluded to "the windowless flank walls of a residential property to the south". The Hardings' home has a window overlooking the site.

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Even allowing for such errors, the reality is that scaffold tubes are now stored right against the dividing wall, when they should be at least three metres away, and stacks exceed the permitted two metre maximum.

The dividing wall is topped by spiked metal security railings, not the chain-link fencing proposed, and the couple say that scaffolding is being moved on and off site outside permitted hours, and on Sundays.

Temporary one-year planning consent for a change of use from business car parking to a storage area was granted in November last year for plannners to monitor operations and to gauge any adverse effects.

Use of the site only began in May, and the Hardings' complaints to Rother District Council planners have so far failed to bring the enforcement action they believe should have been taken.

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With Lisa due to give birth this week, the couple have had to drastically change their plans for the baby's arrival.

Mr Harding said: "We've lived here for six years, and have poured our souls and not a little money into turning the property into a family home. Now we feel we've no option but to sell up and move elsewhere."

His wife explained: "We're both Bexhillians ourselves, and had wanted our baby born in our own home. And because I have back problems, we had arranged for a water birth.

"But with the noise and stress of the business next door the midwife has warned against it, and to get the facilities I need I shall now have to go to Crowborough. some 30 miles away, once I go into labour,

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Mr Harding said the situation felt like "a kick in the teeth" after all the effort they had put into turning their end-of-terrace, three-bedroomed property into a home.

"Even our pet guinea pigs and rescue puppy have been to the vet to be treated for stress since all this began," he said. "It's just sickening that no one seems to care."

Rother's head of planning Tim Hickling said: "While the council understands the Hardings' concerns and is mindful of their situation, a full and proper investigation has to be undertaken into any alleged breach of planning conditions.

"We are grateful to the Hardings for informing us when these alleged breaches have taken place and the matter will now be put before councillors as soon as practically possible.

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"Members will then take a decision on any enforcement action which should take place. We have set the date for after Friday, September 24 to allow the landowner time to include any comments in the report to members."

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