PLANNING APPLICATION WD/2022/0257/MAJ

15 New Dwellings In The Centre Of Vines Cross Village

Yet another planning applica/on has been submi4ed to Wealden council, this /me for a development of 15 houses in the /ny hamlet of Vines Cross.

Those of you who know the area will understand the pressure this will put on Vines Cross and the surrounding villages. This new development alone represents a 20% increase in what is essen/ally a very rural community with no local services.

The need for any addi/onal housing given the many hundreds of new homes already planned and built in Horam, Heathfield, Hailsham and East Hoathly and surrounding areas is ques/onable to say the least.

Add to this the nega/ve visual aspect, the totally inadequate water management proposals of the site, the close proximity to an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and designated ancient woodland.

There is no considera/on given to the impact of addi/onal traffic or of the planned access point onto Ballsocks Lane, which is narrow, steep and has a blind bend, or on the surrounding road network heading out in all direc/ons.

We are all already feeling that our local resources are stretched too thin. It’s hard to get doctors appointments, schools are oversubscribed and there is regular flooding where there never used to be with sewage overflowing onto roads and into gardens.

The bo4om line is that anyone with even a small piece of land will feel that its open season for house building and our rural landscape will cease to exit. This development, as with many in our area is both unwanted and unjus/fied and will cause serious harm to our local community and our built and natural environment.

It is hard to find anyone in favour of this development and to para phrase Micheal Gove’s recent statement regarding changes to the Levelling Up Bill, we should be “placing local communi-es at the heart of the planning system.” Wealden Council need to listen to the local community and refuse this applica/on.

Please contact the Vines Cross Community Associa/on or email me at lesleymedlock@mac.com to be kept up to date.