Village fights office plan

A CONTROVERSIAL application to build an office building for up to 30 people in Hadlow Down has been deferred to allow councillors to visit the site.

A CONTROVERSIAL application to build an office building for up to 30 people in Hadlow Down has been deferred to allow councillors to visit the site.

The proposal, for offices and car parking space at Five Chimneys Lane, had prompted strong opposition in the local community, with residents and parish councillors objecting on a number of grounds.

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These included objections that establishing an office building for 25 to 30 people on a quiet narrow lane in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty was 'totally inappropriate' and that a two-storey building of the size proposed would have an 'unacceptable visual impact'.

Members of Hadlow Down Parish Council also claimed that an initial decision, in September 2000, to oppose change of use to light industrial was reconsidered in February last year after Wealden had requested them to do so.

A spokesman for the parish council said that Wealden had told them that no attempt would be made to construct a larger building than that already approved and that the building would be controlled in terms of materials.

The spokesman said: 'Upon representations from neighbours, the council sought unsuccessfully to withdraw its agreement. The present application goes far beyond the assurances given to Wealden District Council and the conditions applying to the extant (existing) permission.'

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However, in a report to Wealden's development control north sub-committee, senior planning officer Chris Elphick said that officers had not requested that light industrial use be 'agreed' but had provided information about the existing permission, which had been secured in the mid-1980s.

Mr Elphick said that the height of the building would remain 'very similar' at six metres, and said that the footprint area would actually be reduced from 298 square metres to 280 square metres.

The existing permission is for a building with a 300 square footprint. He added: 'While the floorspace would be increased through the creation of two floors, this could be achieved anyway under the extant permission through the inclusion of a mezzanine floor.'

The original planning permission was for a building to be used for general industrial use by agricultural contractors. That was modified for office use last year. The proposal is due to go back to Wealden planners on March 7.

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