Council to make decision on 140-home development

Councillors are set to make a decision on a controversial 140-home rural housing development in East Sussex.

Lewes District Council has received an application for outline planning permission to build the homes on Howells Bank Farm on Broyle Lane in Ringmer.

The applicant, Catesby Strategic Land, is seeking to establish the principle of building housing on the site, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The council, which is due to consider the application on 15 April, has received 583 letters of objection as well as a petition signed by 127 people. Catesby Strategic Land has been approached for comment.

Objectors have raised concerns that included the development's potential impact on the character of the area and on the local infrastructure, and its potential to erode the green gap separating Broyle Side from Ringmer.

Ringmer Parish Council said the proposal represented a "speculative" development and would be "out of character" for the area.

It was also concerned that Earwig Corner may not be able to cope with additional traffic and said the junction had previously been subject to fatalities.

A parish council spokesperson added sewage works at Neaves Lane should be upgraded prior to considering or approving any major development.

Lewes District Council planning officers have recommended the scheme be approved, citing the district's housing supply shortage as one of the reasons.

They added that highway authorities have, subject to conditions, raised no objections.

They said this included Earwig Corner's "adaptive timing function", which they considered to be sufficient to manage the flow of vehicles.

Officers are also recommending a planning condition which would "ensure no dwellings are connected to the sewer system or occupied until any necessary improvement works have been carried out to the sewer infrastructure".

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