IMAGE CREDIT MONTAGE, BAY LIFE: “Let’s go fly a kite, up to the highest height”
BREAKING NEWS: Petition against the building of the three storey monstrosity, as the scheme has been called by local residents, in the heart of Pevensey Bay now reaches over 400 signatures—Bay Life, 8 May 2017
With so much local opposition to the building of the ‘three storey monstrosity’ as the flats scheme has been labelled in the heart of Pevensey Bay, described by many people as being completely out of character and a threat to village life, questions about possible approval for the scheme come back into the frame as developers amend their plan and change parking arrangements.
The astonishing situation that the scheme is still under consideration with a decision to be made by Wealden Council later this month, leaves in the balance the question of whether the scheme will now win approved.
With over 400 people now signing the petition, and opposition growing daily, it remains to be seen what decision Wealden Council will make about the proposed development to build eight luxury flats that will squat, like what has been described as a ‘giant white elephant’ in the heart of the village..
In a statement to Bay Life, following a planning meeting held by Wealden Council on 29 March , at which the development plan was withdrawn, a spokesman speaking on behalf of Wealden Council said “this application is on hold, as a result of all the information that we have to assess as part of the new Wealden Local Plan”.
Ray Foss owner of the site, speaking on behalf of Foss Holding, in a statement to Bay Life on 16 February said “The Beach Tavern was originally the Honeypot Tea Rooms, but had to close due to lack of support from both residents/visitors.
“It then became the Beach Tavern and again had to close due to lack of support from the community and under dubious circumstances (Facebook October 2015) by all accounts not the sort of place you would like your families/friends to frequent.
“The local community tried and failed to obtain the support to re-open it as a library in 2016
“The community surely don’t want this eyesore left standing as a blot on the landscape in the centre of the village, for visitors to see
“The flats that we are proposing are high end and would encourage at the very least a better visual impact for both residents and visitors alike”.
The Bay will now see whether the scheme will win approval, the possibility is being seen as a potential catastrophe for residents.
Local resident Jo Collins, who runs a business creating beautiful hand crafted creations of local buildings in miniature that sell across the country, in signing the petition said “it would be a complete eyesore as you enter the village and we should be trying to preserve what beautiful local buildings we have left.”
John Davey, who has lived in Pevensey Bay for 38 years, put his views stridently in a letter to be published in the latest edition of Bay Life The Journal, the local broadsheet newspaper, out later this month.
“I understand that the developers of the Beach Tavern site have now put on an amendment and that they will now alter the plans for parking arrangements, given what East Sussex Highways had to say about parking.
“My response is unprintable. I can not believe that they don’t get that we don’t want that great big monstrosity there. It is totally out of character for the area and for Pevensey Bay.
“They are just not listening to anybody. The bottom line is that it is all about money and greed, plus who would want to live in a 1950s East German prison type camp build anyway.
“I am angry in the way that they are just not listening to the concerns of people, as long as they are making money and lining their own pockets, that is their concern.
“They are not worried that people down here will have to put up with that great big white elephant.
“All that is missing for these plans is the barbed wire, the watchtowers, the searchlights, armed guards and dogs”.
Martin Beeney, who lives just metres away from the proposed development, perhaps put it best, “I think it will be the beginning of the end for the village if this building goes ahead”.
Bay Life will publish the decision about the proposal to build luxury flats based on this planning application on the site of the Beach Tavern, as soon as the information becomes available.
You can sign the petition against the development plan here
