Updated: North Bexhill Access Road decision delayed - again

Rother District Council’s planning committee was due to discuss the application at a meeting tomorrow (Thursday, January 21).

But yesterday (Tuesday) the council’s planning agenda was amended to read: “Rother District Planning Committee will not be considering the North Bexhill Access Road.

“The matter will now be reported to a future committee at the earliest opportunity.”

The local authority stressed the plans had been ‘postponed, not withdrawn’.

A Rother District Council spokesman said: “The district council’s planning committee will not be considering the North Bexhill Access Road application at Thursday’s (Jan 21) planning committee meeting.

“Due to the sensitivities and complex issues which surround the proposal, the council sought legal advice which highlighted the need to undertake further work and seek expert advice.

“Having discussed the matter with the chairman and vice-chairman of the planning committee it was agreed, in order to assess the full impact of the road, further analysis would need to be undertaken before the proposal could be considered by the committee.

“The matter will now be reported to a future committee at the earliest opportunity.”

The NBAR was originally on the planning committee agenda in December, but was withdrawn – also at the last minute – following an objection from the Combe Haven Defenders.

Combe Haven Defenders spokesperson Andrea Needham, who submitted the objection which caused the application to be withdrawn the first time, said: “The road would devastate the countryside, damage ancient woodlands and destroy nearly 2km of hedgerow, a rich and vital habitat, as well as increasing carbon emissions.

A spokesperson for Sea Change, which is behind the development, said: “Sea Change appreciates that the district council needs to consider the application when it feels ready to do so and will wait for that time.”

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