No Housing on High Weald Site
A planning inspector has upheld a decision of Rother District Council to refuse permission to build housing on the site of a former plant nursery at Whatlington which is adjacent to listed farm buildings.
Developers Steed Construction Limited applied last year to build five new homes in place of the array of dilapidated glasshouses alongside Dorrells farm just off the A21. They argued in their appeal against Rother’s refusal that, in their current state, the glasshouses “cause significant harm to the beauty of the rural landscape”, which is within the designated High Weald Natural Landscape (HWNL) area.
The inspector ruled earlier this month that the clearance of the structures might be a visual improvement, “but the proposal would introduce housing and residential paraphernalia into the countryside. It would be an unwelcome urban incursion, eroding the characteristics of the surrounding landscape and rural nature of this part of the HWNL.” The land was zoned for agricultural use, and should remain so.
He dismissed the developers’ argument that Rother’s lack of housing land supply should override these considerations, since the addition of five dwellings would have only a marginal effect.
We hope you have enjoyed reading this article. The future of our volunteer led, non-profit publication would be far more secure with the aid of a small donation. You can also support local journalism by becoming a friend of HIP. It only takes a minute and we would be very grateful.
Leave a Reply