DEVELOPER PULLS PLANS FOR 241 HOMES FOLLOWING FLOODING CONCERNS

Plans to build 241 homes on a site off Ersham Road have been withdrawn — the day before Councillors were due to discuss its future.

Hailsham News reported last month on the concerns of a report which suggested a ‘risk of life to children’ if the site was victim to an extreme flooding event. It was due to be discussed at a planning meeting on 26th January - but the application was pulled by the developer just hours before.

Outline planning permission had previously been granted for the site just west of Ersham Road at Summerhill, but in a Planning meeting in December, Chairman, Councillor Susan Stedman stated: “One the most extraordinary things I’ve ever read in a commentary, and I’ve been doing this for very nearly 20 years, about a significant hazard and risk of life to children. I have never read anything like that before in an Agenda Report, and It troubles me deeply. Perhaps we need to think quite hard about it.” died in her sleep last October aged just three.

Following the news of the withdrawal of the plans, Head of Planning for Wealden District Council advised the committee this is likely not to be the end of the issue, the developers have probably decided to go-away and rethink the site layout and return with a fresh application. All consultations would have to have to start from fresh if a new application was submitted.