Clerk: Mr. C. M. Reed
Longways, Inkpen Lane,
Forest Row, East Sussex RH18 5BQ
Phone: 01342 824522 Fax: 01342 824577
Email: colin.reed8@btinternet.com
Website: www.buxtedparish.org.uk

Please be advised that The Planning Inspectorate have upheld the Grampian developers’ appeal for the outline application to build 120 - 140 houses plus business units on the site of the former chicken factory.

This means that the approval, which the local community and Buxted Parish Council objected to and which Wealden District Council (WDC) refused, will go ahead in preference to the outline application for 100 houses, residential care home and business units, preferred by local residents and the PC.

Despite considerable defence from WDC and the Parish Council at the Inquiry as to the potentially adverse impact of the larger development of 140 homes at Grampian, the Planning Inspectorate has largely followed national guidelines. While noting some of the issues with the site relating to its location and position adjacent to Five Ash Down, concerns with traffic safety, and so on – fundamentally the Planning Inspector considers that the 100 house density does not reach the minimum target for housing and that allowing 120-140 homes will ensure a better mix to address current housing shortages in Wealden. In particular he considered that developing a ‘brown field’ site could hopefully reduce the need to develop alternative ‘green field’ sites.

In terms of its character and appearance within its surroundings, which is another material consideration, the Planning Inspector did not feel that it would adversely impact the site given its position and current and planned landscaping. He was also not in favour of continuing the linear ribbon development of Five Ash Down and considered that the indicative layouts as discussed at the Public Inquiry provided an appropriate outline from which a full planning application and detailed designs could be developed.

In granting outline approval of the 120-140 house development, the Planning Inspectorate has imposed a series of conditions largely in line with those agreed by WDC with the developers and in line with local feedback.

The developers have made it known that they still intend to come forward with an application for a residential care home on the site which meets an important need – and there have been some expressions of interest by local businesses in the business units. Additionally, the approved 120-140 application will have a quota of only 53% of houses with 3 or more bedrooms compared to 68% on the 100 house application – thus more small homes.

The developers will be meeting in the next week to take their plans forward but it is expected that the residential portion of the site will be sold to a house builder. In time a full application will then come through.

Within all this the Parish Council will retain close contact with the District Council, County Council and Grampian developers, Welbeck Land Ltd and Montagu Evans, to continue to ensure that local views are well represented and to try and ensure local needs are best addressed. We of course hope that whoever takes on the building of the site continues to show the courtesy to local views that the Grampian developers have largely shown. While the density of the houses on the site is greater than the community may have wished – most of the other matters have been considered and addressed by them.

Please rest assured the Parish Council, on behalf of the local community, will do all it can to ensure that the Grampian development is not just another faceless new housing estate with no sense of place, but a development that we can all stand back and consider was well done. That national government policy has gone against local needs and issues is of course disappointing – but we have all tried our best and we hope that the support we have enjoyed from the District Councillors and Planning Officers and our County Councillor continues.

When a full planning application comes forward it may be for anything between 120 and 140 homes. At that time we will ensure the community have the opportunity for input and discussion and the Parish Council will continue dialogue with ESCC over road safety and other infrastructure matters.

For further information contact:

Colin Reed – Clerk to Buxted Parish Council 01342 824522

Alison Crowe – Chairman Buxted Parish Council 01825 732752