The most interesting news in the Wealden Council media release this afternoon (3 March) is not so much what the statement says, but what the media release does not say. Will the decision to plan for ‘a more even distribution between housing growth and jobs’ open the door to new grounds to reject the monstrous building planned for the Beach Tavern site in Pevensey Bay?—Bay Life, 3 March 2017
Wealden District Council has published the Draft Proposed Submission Wealden Local Plan which, given the evidence collected, is recommending a lower housing requirement than in the earlier Issues, Options & Recommendations document.
The draft Local Plan proposes the delivery of around 7,000 houses in addition to those already given permission. This will give around 14,000 in the plan period up to 2028, as well as a more even distribution of both housing growth and jobs.
“This stage of the Local Plan process reflects the feedback from the Issues, Options and Recommendations document as well as results from a variety of scientific studies Wealden District Council has commissioned,” said Councillor Ann Newton, Cabinet member for Planning and Development at Wealden District Council.
“Whilst encouraging growth for the housing need, the Plan has to take account of the sensitive environmental issues across the District, particularly Ashdown Forest. This new model allows for a better balance of employment and housing growth whilst protecting Ashdown Forest and the wider Wealden countryside.
“The delivery of infrastructure to accompany any housing remains at the core of the Local Plan strategy and the Council meets regularly with infrastructure providers.”
Monitoring of the likely impact of the proposals will continue and there may be further adjustments if evidence suggests they are required.
Wealden District Councillors will discuss the proposals at meetings of the Local Plan Sub-Committee, as well as a joint meeting of the North and South Planning Committees, on Monday 13 March. It will then be submitted for approval at the meeting of Wealden’s Full Council on 22 March.
If it is approved at Full Council, consultation on the Draft Proposed Submission for the Wealden Local Plan will run from 8 May to 19 June allowing time beforehand to read and absorb the proposals. Copies of the draft plan will be available to download from the Wealden District Council website.
Bay Life will publish further information about the Beach Tavern site proposal as soon as more details become available.
