District Groups in East Sussex

Current Activities in East Sussex

Planning Successes

Victory at Polegate
May 2011

CPRE Sussex is celebrating the news that the Secretary of State has dismissed the appeal by Pelham Homes for 520 houses at Honey Farm in the countryside west of Polegate.

Throughout a Planning Inquiry in January and February this year, environmental groups led by CPRE Sussex fought alongside local residents, parish councils and Wealden Council to demonstrate the unacceptable impact on the landscape, local amenity and environmental sustainability.

Stuart Meier , Director of CPRE Sussex said "Working with other groups and local residents we demonstrated just how bad this plan was. We are delighted it has been firmly kicked out because it would have had horrendous consequences for the countryside, the Downs , the local people and not least the proposed residents themselves."  He continued "CPRE support good development, but this was simply the wrong plan for the wrong houses in the wrong place. Had the proposal not been blocked, these houses would have been stranded on the wrong side of the busy A27. The residents would actually have been fenced in with anti-climb fences 'for their own safety'!"

Honey Farm, Polegate
July 2010
The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has called for environmental groups and the public to join it in fighting renewed plans for houses at Polegate, East Sussex which it calls "a brazen affront to the new National Park".

Plans for 520 houses have already been rejected by Wealden District Council, but Pelham Homes is now trying to get the decision overturned at a major public Inquiry later this year.

Last December, Wealden District Council refused planning permission for the houses at Honey Farm, on the border of the new South Downs National Park . The council found the plan had numerous flaws due to the impact it would have on the South Downs and on local heritage and infrastructure.

Stuart Meier, Director of CPRE Sussex, said "this proposal has rightly been thrown out by the council. CPRE has long resisted the suggestion of development on this sensitive site, which manages both to be inaccessible to people because it is on the wrong side of the A27, and to be very prominent in the landscape because it is right at the foot of Folkington Down".

"The site has been firmly rejected by Wealden District Council in its strategic assessment, and it is clear to any walker on the Downs that it would be a savage scar on the face of the new National Park. It is simply the wrong plan in the wrong place."

CPRE Sussex has announced it will fight the proposal by linking up with other groups to challenge the developers at the Inquiry. Stuart Meier says it has already had offers of support from other environmental groups, and has written to the Planning Inspectorate to seek full inquiry involvement.

CPRE is asking the public to support its efforts by becoming members, the subscriptions going to its appeals fund, see www.cpresussex.org.uk.

A public meeting is planned shortly, but members of the public who wish to object now should write to the Planning Inspectorate quoting reference APP/C1435/A/10/2130580/NWF, to:

Ms Sian Evans
Planning Inspectorate
4\08 Eagle Wing, Temple Quay House
Temple Quay
Bristol BS1 6PN

Polegate
December 2009
We are pleased to hear that the planning committee of Wealden DC have rejected the 520 houses proposed at Honey Farm, Eastbourne Road. A report from the planning officer produced 8 reasons for refusal, all endorsed.

Uckfield
February 2009
CPRE Sussex has welcomed the refusal by the Secretary of State of three housing application appeals on the edges of Uckfield. The sites are Downlands Farm, Bird in Eye North and Bird in Eye South. All of the sites fall outside the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

CPRE Sussex was particularly concerned regarding the landscape and ecological impact of the Downlands site, which lies on the north west of Uckfield and separates it from the A22 Uckfield by-pass. Roger Smith submitted evidence against it on CPRE's behalf. The much smaller Bird in Eye sites lie to the east of Uckfield, and are of significant interest to some CPRE members, although CPRE as an organisation did not object to them.

Of as much interest as the decision is the reasons for them, which differ for the sites.

The applications were of particular concern in the absence of a proper up to date Wealden District Council local plan, the non-statutory plan being given "some weight" by the Secretary of State.

At Downlands Farm, the Secretary of State considered that landscape impact was "a major planning objection sufficient on its own to justify refusal of planning permission" and that "she agrees with the Inspector that no amount of tree screening or high quality design would compensate ". However, at the two Bird in Eye sites landscape impact was not considered to be as significant, and they were felt to be "natural or logical extensions".

On ecology issues, at Downlands the Secretary of State considered development "had the potential to be quite damaging" and the "overall balance of benefit against harm does not weigh in favour of the proposal". At Bird in Eye, there were no ecological reasons for refusal. In all three cases, there were drawbacks regarding traffic impact, those at Downlands having overriding unacceptability.

While the developers claimed the need for housing in the vicinity, this argument was not supported and the Secretary of State took the view that the sites were in conflict with the development plan and accordingly all three were refused.

The developers have six weeks before the decisions become final during which they could undertake a legal challenge in the High Court on procedural grounds.

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.

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