Sidley Goods Yard plan goes before councillors

Members of the council's planning committee will have before them on Thursday the authority's own application to demolish old railway buildings and create the business park.

The aim is to redevelop part of the site with purpose-built commercial units and to provide a new access road to serve both the new units and existing users who will remain on the site.

Officers say the application does not conflict with the Bexhill-Hastings Link Road plan.

The business park would abut the road, the line of which is safeguarded.

The old goods yard has been the subject of a number of planning schemes since the Bexhill-Crowhurst branch rail line was closed in 1964 under the Beeching Axe.

The Rother scheme is for a 582 sq. metre single-storey building capable of being divided into three units and with its own dedicated parking, servicing and external storage areas.

A second single-storey block of 970 sq. metres could be divided into five units.

A two-storey building would offer spaces for 18 offices and two slightly larger "incubator" units with parking and servicing areas.

A report to members says the scheme involves relocating the entrance to the existing county council highways depot.

The 1.2 hectare site is on the north western edge of the goods yard site and abuts Highfield Gardens, Birch View and Sidley Community Primary School, which are on higher ground than the old railway cutting.

Rother planning department has received one objection on the grounds that the development would intrude on privacy. The objector questions the need for two-storey buildings and the amount of parking and says operations should be subject to evening and weekend working.

Councillors will be advised that because of the intervening distance and the proposed landscaping, "local residents will see very limited effect visually."

Officers say in the conclusion to the report to members: "This is a positive application to provide additional employment on an urban brownfield site.

"It makes good and full use of an existing employment site.

"The site is close to residential properties, particularly in Birch View, but being at a lower level the physical impact of the new buildings will be limited."

The recommendation is to grant approval but impose conditions on noise, working hours and other safeguards.