Decision due on revised plans for 351 Hellingly homes

On Thursday (January 26), Wealden District Council’s Planning Committee South is set to consider a reserved matters application on plans to build 351 homes on land to the west of Park Farm, off of New Road.

The scheme was granted outline planning permission back in 2021, meaning the principle of building houses on the site has already been established.

Even so, the application is the second reserved matters proposal for the site. The first was refused last year by planning officers (under delegated powers), due to concerns around its layout, architecture and landscaping as well as its surface water drainage scheme.

But officers say the new application overcomes those previous concerns and are recommending the scheme be approved. This view is not shared by Hellingly Parish Council, which says the new layout is ‘unimaginative and regimented’ and is arguing for revised proposals to come forward.

The proposed site is to be made up of 62 flats, 63 two-bedroom houses, 132 three-bedroom houses and 94 four-bedroom houses. Of these, 130 units (including 61 of the flats) would be classed as affordable homes.

While this scheme falls short of the 370 homes approved at the outline stage, it is understood that the final development could reach this number as self-build and custom-build houses come forward in separate applications.

For further information on the proposals see application reference WD/2022/2135/MRM on the Wealden District Council website.