Decision due on new homes in village near Bexhill

On Thursday (February 23), Wealden District Council’s Planning Committee South is set to consider an outline application seeking permission to build four detached homes on land adjacent to a property known as The Corner House in Ninfield Road.

The application is an update of previous plans for the same site, which were refused by the planning committee in December 2021. That application had sought permission for six houses and was refused (against officer advice) on the grounds that it would be an ‘overdevelopment’ of the site.

As with the previous application, the scheme is recommended for approval by Wealden planning officers, although this recommendation is largely because the council is still falling short of government housing targets.

In coming to this conclusion, officers noted the site’s likely reliance on private cars, its position outside of the development boundary, Ninfield’s relative lack of rural services, its harm to the character of the area and the large size of the properties, which are less desirable in planning terms than smaller, more affordable homes.

Officers also noted that the development would have some impact on the privacy of an existing property, known as Black Cats.

Even so, officers concluded that there are “no clear reasons for refusal” and say any harm from the scheme would be outweighed by the provision of housing.

This recommendation has proven controversial, however, with being raised by Ninfield residents and Ninfield Parish Council. Objections include the harms identified by officers, as well as concerns around infrastructure pressures.