Path clearance at Normanhurst “in breach of TPO”
A complaint has been made to Rother District Council that prospective developers of the Normanhurst estate north of Catsfield have cut a track through historic woodland in breach of a temporary tree preservation order imposed by the council.
In HIP 208 (26 August) we reported on the intended development of a holiday complex at this location involving plans to construct 240 lodges, a spa, restaurants and other amenities. No planning application has yet been made to Rother. But the developer owners, Greystoke boast of their intentions on their website, claiming that “the development will have a contemporary aesthetic with simple geometric forms and a dark colour palette to enable the lodges to meld into the landscape. The Estate… contains beautiful water features and specimen trees which have become overgrown. The proposal will restore the landscaped grounds to their former glory.”
They also assert that “the project will bring significant benefits to the local area including extra visitor spend in the local economy, supporting the local cultural sector and the establishment of a new theatre”.
The estate, formerly owned by the Brassey family who built a baronial mansion on it in the style of a French chateau that was demolished in 1951, lies within the High Weald AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). The 1066 Country Walk public footpath runs through it, and it contains ancient woodland and a bluebell wood. Rother has sought to protect these by imposing an extensive temporary tree preservation order (TPO) pending full assessment of their value under a CAVAT (Capital Asset Value for Amenity Trees) enquiry.
However, on 10 September a contractor commissioned by Greystoke cleared a 500-metre stretch of bridleway which runs through the forested area known as Captain’s Wood. In doing so he converted it from a footpath-sized track approximately four feet wide into what is now effectively a two-lane roadway, cutting down a large number of small trees (amongst other flora) on either side.
A local neighbour heard the noise of the machinery involved and, being aware of the terms of the TPO, alerted Rother’s planning department. At the time of going to press, it is not known whether there have been any subsequent communications between Rother and Greystoke, however it does not appear that any further clearance work has been undertaken.
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