3 minute read
Development update
from HVC Village Diary
Are the planners & politicians finally listening?
Last month saw the dramatic defeat of the Tories in a local by-election in Chesham & Amersham, the safe seat was taken by the Lib Dems and the two main topics of concern for this turnaround were HS2 and overdevelopment locally. Here in Wealden, residents are feeling much the same about the loss of our green space to housing estates. This is despite repeated objections to planning applications, and thousands of approved houses already given the green light but yet to be built out, whilst Wealden District Council continue to give approval for more developments in the 'South Weald', especially in Horam. This was reflected in the recent in-roads the Green party made in our local by-elections.
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The over development in the South East only serves to over populate a crowded part of the country and drive up house prices, the government should be seriously overhauling the planning laws to level up other parts of the UK and insisting developers build affordable and sustainable homes in the right places. Planning responsibility is the hot potato that gets chucked from Wealden to central government and from our MP Nus Ghani to Wealden. Residents are tiring of this runaround.
Local applications
The outcome of application WD/2021/0672/MAO Southside/Old Orchard House (opp Rosemead) has still not come to the Planning Committee South and states on Wealden's website that the decision has been delegated. Why have Wealden sat on it for so long? It seems a straight forward decision to make, given that the application was previously rejected by the government inspector last summer, for being unsustainable and inappropriate plus lots of local opposition.
There have been a considerable number of objections from local residents in Horam to WD/2021/0672/MAO: Land to the East of Rosemead Place. Local resident and planning consultant David Marlow was concerned about the applicants LVIA report and felt it gives an unfair representation of the impacts to the landscape of this development. He believes (as do I) that the report substantially undervalues and under represents the significance of the harm to the landscape this development would cause. There is a clear policy basis for rejecting schemes, that would generate such adverse landscape effects and the harm this will cause outweighs any benefits of the proposal.
He was so concerned about this that he created his own independent LVIA report which he has submitted to the application. The site overlooks the AONB into the valley below and and is on a ridge (as is Rosemead) on a ridge that can be viewed clearly from this valley, blighting and changing the landscape considerably.
Cauldavon, Horebeech Lane,
Below is an excerpt from David's application for 60 houses. report. If you would like to view the full report, it is available on the application 'hidden' amongst other neighbours letters dated 15/06/21. Or alternatively email me at lucyleaflets@gmail.com
P21, points 52 & 53:
52. Given this assessment, the net effect of the application proposal is that it is judged to generate substantial adverse effects on overall landscape character.
53. This conclusion is consistent with the nature of identified effects: the loss of a field that is not only characteristic of the locality, but also is well-related to adjacent countryside; the complete loss of the current and highly valued sense of tranquillity; the proposal being totally out of keeping with the existing frontage pattern and scale of development at Marle Green, (notwithstanding the estate development underway to the west, which is to be contained by a buffer woodland)
When Rosemead was approved back in 2016, the head of planning (Chris Bending) stated that the green field of the Caudavon site was a sufficient enough buffer to mitigate for the change in landscape/overlooking of the AONB that Rosemead was going to impact. Five years on and Wealden seem happy to consider the removal of this buffer by plonking another housing estate on this green field!
If you haven't yet already commented, please do you can either go onto Wealden’s website and search for the application ref WD/2021/0672/MAO or email your objection to planning@wealden.gov.uk quoting the application reference and including your name & full address with postcode. Alternatively, you can write to Wealden at Planning, WDC, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, BN27 2AX.
Lucy Atabey, Editor.
