Brighton & Hove District Report: Winter 2013
Written by Stuart Derwent
The countryside “Urban Fringes” lie between the built up area and the boundary of the SDNP. They are important open areas representing our own countryside close to and in many cases within the areas where we live.
The District Council has lost control over planning applications.
Under para 47 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the 5 year Housing Land Supply (HLS) is based on the District's housing requirements; if that is too high, so also would be the HLS. A typical example was D/12/04410, which proposed 112 houses in Stockbridge. The developers relied on the Council's proposed 5 year HLS, which was too high. After every Parish Council on the Peninsular objected, as did the CPRE and the Harbour Conservancy, planning permission was refused. But on 21 June 2013 the Council re-convened and granted planning permission, without any reference to the previous refusal on the file. That decision was clearly not for sustainable development as required by the NPPF para 197 (and defined in paras 7 and 8, quoting the three dimensions: economic, social and environmental).
Horsham & Crawley District Report: Winter 2013
Written by Roger F Smith
Horsham District Council (HDC) in its ‘Horsham District Planning Framework (HDPF) Preferred Strategy - Putting the Economy First’ has proposed a housing target of at least 575 houses per year, amounting to 11,500 in the 20 year period to 2031.
The major issue is for 10,000 new homes on precious countryside between Sayers Green and Henfield – ‘Mayfields Market Town’.
An application by the Borde Hill estate owners to build a big housing estate at Penlands Farm on the north western edge of Horsham and another next door at Sugworth Farm (though that seems to be on hold).
Rother & Hastings District Report: Winter 2013
Written by Stephen Hardy
Rother and Hastings have attracted some national publicity with the protests against the construction of the Bexhill to Hastings Link Road – not quite to the level of Balcombe, but all in vain now as the construction works have started. The impact of this pointless road is being felt in several neighbouring villages and towns like Battle, as well as on site. We live in hope that if careful excavation works are undertaken, items of real historical significance may be found – even the real site of the Battle of Hastings.
Oaklands Site, Hailsham, 200 homes – we objected, the Inspector has turned the application down. No longer considered a threat.
Heathfield: Land to the Rear of the Police Station, High Street, Heathfield TN21 OUP (WD/2013/0635/MEA): Outline Planning Application by Summertree Estates Ltd and Gleeson Developments Ltd for the erection of up to 115 new residential dwellings of which 40% are to be affordable. This application has been approved, although the decision has not been published. We objected on the basis that no AONB land should be developed for normal commercial housing and are not convinced a robust case has been made for building 75 market houses, a case that would be strong enough to warrant destruction of part of an AONB.
Solar Farms: there has been an explosion of interest in applications for solar farms – 11 potential sites have been identified. We have objected to WD/2013/1664/MEA: land at Wick Street, Berwick BN26 6TH on the basis the development would result in the introduction of engineered, alien features in an otherwise undeveloped rural landscape resulting in a loss of landscape character and adverse visual impact, including potentially from the South Downs National Park to the South. However, the planning officers have recommended this site for approval subject to conditions. The application goes to Planning Committee on 17th October.
Graywood, East Hoathly: an application for the construction of a small camp site in ancient woodland has been opposed vigorously by local residents. Wealden District Council has removed the application awaiting further information. We have registered our objection in principle and asked to be kept informed.
John Hurwood (planning) & Lesley Wilson – October 2013
Potential Village Green bulldozed by developer
Written by CPRE Sussex
14 November 2013
Developers Bellway Homes have bulldozed a field in Billinghurst, deliberately ignoring a process initiated by local people who had applied have the location recognised as a village green.
The field, adjacent to Daux Avenue, had been the subject of a public enquiry in September - October this year following the application for Village Green status in 2009. Village Green status would protect the field from building development. The Planning Inspector's decision had not yet been given. In a clear attempt to preempt any such decision, the developers Bellway Homes bulldozed the site last week.
CPRE Sussex believes this is an act of vandalism inflicted in advance of the Planning Inspector's findings and West Sussex County Council's planning decision on the site. If a piece of land had been used by local people for lawful sports and pastimes "as of right" – without permission, force or secrecy for at least 20 years – users can apply under section 15(1) of the Commons Act 2006 to register land as a green.
The field was photographed by Dr Roger Smith of CPRE Sussex following the destruction, on Sunday 10 November.
We will be publishing a full report on this shortly.
EDIT
Dr Roger Smith appeared on BBC South Today on 14 November discussing Bellway Home's destruction of the site.
Mirror article on Mayfield Market Town's board
Written by William Shaw8 November 2013
An article in the Daily Mirror, 7 November 2013 quotes Dr Roger Smith and Georgia Wrighton of CPRE and reopens the debate about a conflict of interest in the board of Mayfield Market Town's board of directors.
8 November 2013
A major article in the Daily Mirror (7 November 2013) by investigative journalist Andrew Penman has launched a scathing attack on the motives behind the proposed Mayfield new town development in Sussex, following the public meeting held jointly by CPRE Sussex and Locals Against Mayfields Sprawl.
Questioning the sustainability of a development on land prone to flooding, without decent transport access, Penman writes: "This is a story about a beautiful stretch of the South Downs that a company would like to bury under a 10,000-house new town, making a fortune in the process."
