This application was discussed at the planning committee on 10th February. Councillors deferred making a decision until representations were made to East Sussex Highways about extending the 30mph zone East along Eridge Road past the entrance to the proposed development (8 to 3 vote).
(The application to build a further 71 dwellings at Walsh Manor Farm was approved).
You can view a video of the meeting (agenda items 8 and 9):
Original article (30th January):
An application to build up to 119 houses and flats on land adjacent to Goldsmiths Recreation Ground in Crowborough will be considered by councillors on the planning committee next week.
The proposed development, north of the A26 Eridge Road and next to the miniature railway and caravan site, is within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The site is outside the development boundary for Crowborough, however the boundary has already been breached to build other houses in Crowborough.
In recent years the fun fair, which comes to town in September at the time of the carnival, has used part of the site.
The original application for 139 dwellings was submitted in 2017. Historic England strongly objected due to the proximity of the development to Luxford Farmhouse. A revised layout, moving the properties further away from the Grade II Listed building and reducing the number of dwellings, was submitted by the developers Fairfax Acquisitions Limited.
The site would be accessed via a new T-junction off the A26, between Eridge Gardens and The Farthings. East Sussex Highways have no objection to the development.
Wealden District Council are currently unable to demonstrate a five year housing land supply as required to by the National Planning Policy Framework.
The development includes 35% affordable housing, together with custom and self build plots.
Major Crowborough Schemes
The application for outline planning permission will be considered on Thursday 6th February in Hailsham. The meeting starts at 10.30am and is open to the public.
Also on the agenda for the same meeting are other applications in Crowborough and Rotherfield. An application for 71 additional dwellings off Walshes Road (Ref: WD/2019/0641/MAO) will be considered and the design and layout of the homes to be built at Jordan’s Nursery on Blackness Road (Ref: WD/2016/1677/MAO).
There are too many houses being built in Crowborough. All these new homes with people need to have a infrastructure put in place to cope. Doctors surgeries, dentists, schools etc etc. I see none of these being built. You have also a High Street with apart from charity shops, nail bars and hairdressers has nothing.
I fully agree with the statement above. Crowborough rates are exorbitant with nothing to show for them all quite ridiculous
I appreciate we need more housing – but what about providing more infrastructure and facilities ? When I first came to Crowborough we even had a cinema !! We also had three thriving youth clubs . What is there now for the youth . In the words of my Grandson “Crowborough is dead ” The High Street is like a morgue on Saturdays – when it should be thriving ! The roads are a nightmare and reaching danger point !! Do we need more housing ? Lets get our act together first !!
There are no reasonably paid local job opportunities. Train services to London are infrequent and unreliable with a single track in places. Broadband is slow and mobile phone signal poor or non-existent. The town struggles to provide infrastructure and services for people already living here, such as schools and GP surgeries. The A26 – Eridge Road – is inadequate for the amount of traffic that is already using it. It is narrow with no safe pavements north of Crowborough Cross. More traffic means more air, noise and light pollution. Who is addressing environmental concerns here? I thought we are supposed to be saving the planet? Surely not by destroying another green site. Who in their right mind would consider this development to be what Crowborough needs? Considering all the new developments currently being built in the area, it seems property developers are being given a free hand to do exactly what they want with little or no interest from responsible local politicians and councillors.
I noticed that we need to take on 400 builds from Eastbourne and unknown number from Tunbridge Wells, why Tunbridge Wells its in Kent? A ludicrous state of affairs expecting “protected” green areas to be changed into housing estates. Just been looking at the new houses near me and they have front doors straight onto the roadway and no gardens. We are reverting back to how workers were housed in the slums of London. Not very fitting for a rural area. With our planet in its current state we need all the green areas we can get. Doesnt it tell the council something that we have five large supermarkets all thriving and only half a dozen shops in the high street, overflowing doctors surgeries, terrible roads, a severe lack if policing, struggling power supplies and Internet. Pathways that should be condemned because all our money is being put into projects forced onto us. Now all the council has to do is find jobs for all these new people to do. It would have been more efficient creating jobs before encouraging people to move here. I can see more coffee shops and barbers opening. I love living here but come on guys play the game look after your own first and plan the future of Crowborough with a bit of forethought.