Horse rescue trust to take Uckfield homes idea to planning inspector
.jpg "Horse rescue trust to take Uckfield homes idea to planning inspector")
The Sussex Horse Rescue Trust is planning to put development proposals for its land in Uckfield before a Government inspector later this year.
Wealden Council has advised that a planning application to build there would be refused because the land is not included in the core strategy which lies at the heart of its Local Development Framework for the district.
But, Terry Bohanna representing the trust, said he hoped the land would be considered as a “windfall site”.
He added the trust was planning to be represented later this year at an Examination in Public, by a Government inspector, into the core strategy.
He added: “The trust will be asking the inspector to consider if community benefits, such as a flood alleviation scheme, would outweigh, as material considerations, parts of the core strategy.”
A Wealden Council press release, reported on the Uckfield News website yesterday, said it was through gains offered by “well-considered planning agreements” that it was possible to bring “substantial regeneration and benefits to towns like Uckfield including long-awaited transport improvements”.
But Mr Bohanna said he was not aware of any planning agreements and subsequent gains for the town yet in place, or of any detailed planning applications for land identified in the core strategy therefore claims of substantial regeneration and benefits could just be a “speculative assumption”.
“To stick rigidly to the Local Development Framework relating to one identified site for the next 19 years on the assumption that 1,000 new homes will be built on this one site without any planning, infrastructure or other problems, and that no other sites will come forward over that time does, on the face of it, appear to be somewhat illogical,” said Mr Bohanna.
He told Uckfield News that while the trust fully understood and appreciated the democratic process of the core strategy other organisations – including officers of Wealden District Council - were involved in drawing up the conceptual proposals for trust land.
Recommendations came from:
- The Environment Agency to help prevent future flooding in the Town.
- East Sussex County Council to generate funds for the authority.
- The Highways Authority to help reduce the traffic congestion in Uckfield.
- East Sussex Children’s Services to help Uckfield Community Technical College.
- The Wildlife Trust to create an Ecology Park once the flood alleviation and re-meandering of the River Uck had been developed.
- The fire service concerned about the possibility of Uckfield Fire Station being flooded again.
- The Historic Society to help divert flood water from Hempstead Water Mill because of fears the foundations are in danger of collapse.
Read our previous stories about the Sussex Horse Rescue Trust land development proposals:
New homes idea for horse rescue trust land in Uckfield
Council responds to homes idea for horse rescue land, Uckfield
See also:
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Harry Potter makes it the biggest ever weekend for Uckfield Picture House
'Pirates' cast line up at Rocks Park Primary School, Uckfield
(Added to site Monday, July 18th, 2011)
