Landslip Concerns at Conqueror Road
Hugh Sullivan
Residents of Conqueror Road in West St Leonards, which runs off Harley Shute Road, are currently opposing proposed development of a steeply sloped woodland plot at its eastern end, claiming that there is serious landslip potential there.
A planning application to build three new houses with attached garages on this area was refused in 2023 on several grounds, including concern that no information had been submitted in relation to land instability and that instances of landslip had been reported locally. A renewed application made last year on the same plot, for two houses only, was rejected for similar reasons.
A third application, again for two houses, was made in October this year. Its unnamed proponents claim that their new designs “more accommodate the contours of the land, thereby reducing the amount of excavation”. They have lodged a Ground Investigation report prepared by an Ashford firm, Ground and Environmental Services Limited, which concludes that the prospective construction should not have a “significant impact” on the overall stability of the slope provided that surface water is drained away from it and that vegetation cover is provided.
The objectors point out that the site sits on or beside a flood zone and historic anthrax pit. Development could not only trigger landslip, but threaten protected wildlife such as badgers and newts, and put further pressure on already overstretched water and sewerage systems. They also state concerns about increased traffic, reduced emergency access and loss of privacy and light for nearby homes.
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