This has been a challenging year in Lewes.
The District's claim to a 5-year housing supply was lost at an appeal early in 2014. This led to a number of applications for development of rural greenfield sites in the Low Weald villages being rushed forward. These were taking advantage of the consequent presumption in favour of sustainable development and offering only the low, historic, level of affordable housing required by the old 2003 Local Plan rather than the 40% shown to be viable for such sites and included in the new Local Plan.
Horsham’s prospective Parliamentary Candidates were quizzed on their countryside credentials in front of a packed crowd at the weekend (Saturday). The candidates faced questions on a range of rural issues from housing to fracking, at a pre-election hustings which attracted hundreds of concerned local people.
Copy of Letter to Horsham DC: Calculating Five Year Housing Supply
Written by CPRE SussexThe following letter was sent by CPRE Sussex Trustee Dr Roger Smith to Councillor Claire Vickers, Cabinet Member for Living and Working Communities, on March 15 2015.
In a recent article in the West Sussex County Times, Dr Roger Smith explains how local people's opinions now count for very little in a planning process tilted towards the developers' goals, not the community's.
Major recent activity has been to object to two solar farm applications. Both are very close to another recently approved by the neighbouring authority, Wealden, at Ninfield. Rother’s are in Catsfield. Because 80% of Rother is in the High Weald AONB, Rother had never had to deal with a solar farm before the first one, at St Francis Farm. Through ignorance perhaps, they approved it, and now the countryside is reaping the consequences. Fortunately the second application 1km away from the Wealden and the St Francis one was rejected, but the applicants have now put in another slightly amended version for Rother to deal with.
In Hastings a singular victory was achieved when the Council refused an application for amended plans for an already built blockhouse in the Country Park, overlooking the sea, which is in the High Weald AONB. It took a great amount of courage on the councillors’ part to refuse, given officer’s recommendation and the possible threat of a compensation claim by the applicant.
Northiam, one of the larger villages in Rother with a quota of 142 houses to fill under the new Rother Local Plan, have just received a Persimmon Homes application for 66 houses on greenfield land. Northiam certainly feels hard done by with their 142 figure, as the village has unlike most others seen almost continuous development during the recession.
The Bexhill-Hastings Link Road sank deeper into the winter mud, when construction ground to a halt. No chance of its July 2015 opening date – but more importantly, watch the costs soar!
Adur Floodwatch: statement on delay to Adur Local Plan
Written by CPRE SussexThe following statement from the Adur Floodwatch Group was issued in response to the announced delay of the Adur Local Plan submission to Government.
The AFG is a consortium of all the residents associations across Adur including the Shoreham Society on the east of the river. The group has been borne out of considerable community concerns because of flood risk from inappropriate development proposed in the plan.
