Objection to refused 700 homes on outskirts of Eastbourne is withdrawn

By Huw Oxburgh, local democracy reporter
Published 12th Aug 2022, 12:54 BST
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Wealden District Council has withdrawn its objections to a pair of highly-controversial planning proposals, just days before the first is due to go to an appeal hearing.

In a confidential session on Thursday (August 11), the council’s Planning Committee South confirmed the council will not defend its previous decisions to refuse two major housing developments within the south of the district.

Both schemes — a 200-home development on land west of Station Road in Hailsham and a 700-home development at Mornings Mill Farm in Lower Willingdon — had been at least partly refused on highways grounds, despite no objections having been raised by East Sussex Highways.

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In a statement issued on Friday (August 12), the council said the committee had received legal advice during the confidential session, which made it clear the council’s highways reasons for refusal had ‘no basis’ and were ‘indefensible’.

Pictured in 2019 Residents before their march to demonstrate against the proposed development of 700 homes at Morning Mills Farm in Willingdon (Photo by Jon Rigby)Pictured in 2019 Residents before their march to demonstrate against the proposed development of 700 homes at Morning Mills Farm in Willingdon (Photo by Jon Rigby)
Pictured in 2019 Residents before their march to demonstrate against the proposed development of 700 homes at Morning Mills Farm in Willingdon (Photo by Jon Rigby)

By withdrawing its objections at this stage, the council says it hopes to mitigate the ‘financial costs’ it expects to face.

In the statement, Conservative council leader Ann Newton said: “It is with a very heavy heart that the council has had to withdraw its representations to defend these two appeals. This decision has not been taken lightly. We have taken advice from the very best legal experts who have told us they cannot defend the indefensible.

“Concerning the application for land west of Station Road, Hailsham, the committee’s grounds for refusal was that it would have a severe impact on the traffic network. Advice from Queen’s Counsel shows there is no evidence to support this and therefore our argument would fail on appeal.

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