District Groups in East Sussex

Current Activities in East Sussex

Storage of Explosives - Local Democracy in Action!!!
Last June, Wealden District Council granted planning permission for a firm specialising in large firework displays to store and repack 10 large shipping containers of fireworks on farmland on Pevensey Marshes. These were not penny rockets!

On 14th November 2007 the County Trading Standards Officer and the Health &Safety officers held a public meeting. Many local people and the councilors objected on safety grounds and the County Fire and Rescue service objected strongly on the grounds of access, lack of water, storage in large steel containers and lack of space between containers. They stated that the local village would be in a danger zone and would have to be evacuated should a major incident occur. The Fire Service has strong memories of a local fireworks factory fire in 2006 in which two of their men were killed.

CPRE objected on similar grounds and with local knowledge.

Trading Standards and H&S claimed that the risk was not great, that the space between containers was adequate and, in the event of a major fire, only the site should be evacuated and the fire left to burn with no danger to the village. "What about me?", said the man who lives within yards of the site.

The H&S officers said they were unable to accept evidence from the recent fire inquiry or some research being carried out internationally into the effect of explosives in steel containers as they could only taken account of existing law and were bound by the rule book. One asks if this is the same outfit who in another area stopped children playing conkers because of the danger!!

Trading Standards also said that they had to work to the legal view and that of their own explosive expert. they said they would be reviewing all the evidence and giving a decision asap. There would be no Right of Appeal and the general impression was very strongly that she minded to give her approval.

CPRE's Wealden District are considering whether to approach the minister to request a call-in for Public Inquiry.

Planning Successes
We are delighted that Wealden District Council refused permission for 2300 new homes on greenfield sites at Polegate and for 750 new homes at Downland Farm, Uckfield. We must now fight the appeal by the developers.

Another successful challenge resulted in the refusal of an application for a waste transfer station in an AONB at Ladies Mile, Withyham, East Sussex. The proposal was successfully opposed by CPRE, local residents and Withyham Parish Council.

Beachy Head Countryside Centre
CPRE Sussex have supported the re-opening of the Countryside Centre at Beachy Head, Near Eastbourne.

To give substance to the 'shop locally and farm foods campaign' the countryside centre is featuring leaflets from a newly opened adjacent farm shop in conjunction with CPRE leaflets. A number of people have already visited the shop.

The popular visitors centre has a museum with many hands-on exhibits. These explain how the Downland landscape was formed, the rich and varied wildlife this habitat supports and how man has worked the land over the centuries. The visitor centre is open 10am to 4pm daily throughout the summer and weekends only during the winter. Various exhibitions are held at the Centre throughout the year. For more information tel: 01323 737273

Bexhill to Hastings Link Road
After many months of intense campaigning with the Hastings Alliance we regret the decision by the Minister of Transport to allow the contraversial Hastings to Bexhill link road to go ahead.This road will cause immense damage to the beautiful and unique Coombe Valley.

Independent research for Transport 2000, CPRE and other environmental groups shows that rather than assist the regeneration of Hastings, the new road, which will be connected to the A21, will take jobs and skilled workers out of Hastings. The cost of the road could be better spent on a metro-link, improved bus services, traffic management schemes and minor road improvements. >Find out more

.Reinstatement of the Wealden Link Railway
CPRE Sussex is campaigning for the reinstatement of the Wealden Link that joins Lewes to Uckfield. We are also working to promote improvements to the Hastings to Ashford rail link and trying to prevent reductions in services to rural areas.

> back to the top