STEPHEN LLOYD MP Member of Parliament for Eastbourne and Willingdon
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STEPHEN LLOYD MP Member of Parliament for Eastbourne and Willingdon Please Reply to: 100 Seaside Road, Eastbourne BN21 3PF Email: [email protected] Tel: 01323 733 030 Charles Lant Chief Executive Wealden District Council Pine Grove Crowborough East Sussex TN6 1DH Date 24th February 2012 Dear Mr. Lant Local Development Framework – Strategic Sites Development Plan Document – Issues and Options Consultation Paper I am responding to your consultation. Further to my recent letter I must first reiterate my surprise that the council has moved already to the Regulation 25 consultation when we are all still waiting for the Inspectors report following the public examination of the Core Strategy. I am sure you would agree that there needs to be public confidence in your procedures even where the public may disagree with the eventual outcome and I suggest that moving so quickly to the next stage before the Inspectors report does not give that confidence. I must also say that there remains disquiet at the consultation process with large on line documents felt to be difficult to access and to comment on. There have also been critical comments about the lack of advertisement of this consultation and the exhibitions and indeed the special Town and Parish Council meetings in Polegate and Willingdon. My comments refer specifically to the proposals in so far as they affect my constituents in Willingdon and take in to account constituents views and those expressed by Willingdon and Jevington Parish Council.. Affordable Housing and the Provision of Smaller Homes Question 1 a I agree that there should be a minimum provision of smaller homes to meet demonstrable and projected need particularly in the vicinity of the key site and in consultation with the Parish Council. Question 1 b www.stephenlloyd.org.uk Whilst Stephen Lloyd MP will treat as confidential any personal information which you pass on, he will normally allow staff and authorised volunteers to see it if this is needed to help and advise you. The MP may pass on all or some of this information to agencies such as the DSS, the Inland Revenue or the local Council if this is necessary to help with your case. Stephen Lloyd MP may wish to write to you from time to time to keep you informed on issues which you may find of interest. Please let him know if you do not wish to be contacted for this purpose. I agree that you should be specific in relation to the percentage of larger homes you require based on demonstrable and projected need in consultation with the Parish Council. However, in view of the length of the Plan period you may need to retain some flexibility to enable you to periodically review the split over the Plan period in the light of changed circumstances. There would need to be restrictions on enlarging homes once built to this requirement. Question 1 c I agree that you should ask developers to provide more than 20% of smaller homes should there be a need on a particular site. Care needs to be taken to ensure that the build of separate types of homes are fully integrated on the site. Question 1 d - No response General Guiding Principles 2 a I agree but I would emphasise the need for timely and appropriate infrastructure to be provided whether it be under Section 106 agreements or under CIL. Past events give little comfort to my constituents when they see the development off Wannock Avenue in Willingdon where traffic calming to protect our children using the primary school has never been provided despite planning conditions and the legal agreement entered into by the developer and not enforced by the County and District Councils. It is noted that there is a considerable sum of near £6 million collected by your Council in their Section 106 account which apparently has not so far been spent. I would also like assurances that the “New Homes Bonus” arrangements provided by the Government will be spent to benefit my constituents – those directly affected by you proposals. 2 b I agree. I would add that care needs to be taken to ensure the “long view” is kept. This is often lost when development takes place and I am particularly keen that the long views to and from Willingdon levels and the National Park currently enjoyed by my Constituents are not lost. 2 c I agree. I note in relation to the Mornings Mill Farm and Hindsland Playing Fields allocation that you have earmarked certain trees for retention. These trees are not in the main protected currently by Tree Preservation Orders and I suggest that needs to be arranged in advance of any earmarking of this land for development. There is a roman road running through this site and I suggest that line should be protected and hedgerows kept. 2 d I agree. Surface water from much of Lower Willingdon drains through the proposed development site and particular care needs to be taken to ensure that drainage is not interrupted. You will be aware that homes in the Oxendean Gardens area have been flooded in the past www.stephenlloyd.org.uk Whilst Stephen Lloyd MP will treat as confidential any personal information which you pass on, he will normally allow staff and authorised volunteers to see it if this is needed to help and advise you. The MP may pass on all or some of this information to agencies such as the DSS, the Inland Revenue or the local Council if this is necessary to help with your case. Stephen Lloyd MP may wish to write to you from time to time to keep you informed on issues which you may find of interest. Please let him know if you do not wish to be contacted for this purpose. 2 e I agree 2 f I agree. However, Secure by Design (SBD) principles should apply 2 g I agree. There should be encouragement to use garages for their usual purpose and policies against converting garages in to habitable accommodation. Where garages are provided in blocks the Secure by Design principles should apply. 2 h I agree but would add the need for development to “blend in” with the existing surrounding area in the case of Mornings Mill Farm/Hindsland – Willingdon levels on one side a long view to the National Park on the other. Should there not be reference to the Design Guide? Suggest that blocks of flats would not be appropriate anywhere in SDA 4. SDA 4 Land South of Polegate and East of Willingdon I disagree with the Guiding Principles. Additional Guiding Principles needed Coalescence of the two settlements Despite the title you have given to SDA4 the vast majority of this land is in the village of Willingdon. Effectively the only part in Polegate is the County Council owned part of Hindsland and two fields adjacent to the Brightling Road Playing Fields.. All the remainder is in Willingdon. There needs to be a clear Guiding Principle to respect the “unique characteristics and functions” of the two settlements as previously recognised in the Non Statutory Wealden Local Plan and to respect the administrative boundary between the town of Polegate and the village of Willingdon which are likely to remain in two different Parliamentary Constituencies. I suggest it is important to prevent the coalescence of the two settlements east of the A2270and that needs to be provided for as a guiding principle to allow for a green lung to run along the boundary using Hindsland Playing Fields on the western side of the site and utilising the preserved “green lane” to the railway line joining the two along the boundary between the two councils. Reference was made to this at the public examination and promises given which should now become a guiding principle. A2270 and Access All local people agree that the sole access on the A2270 will not work despite the conclusions of SWETS that only small interventions at some junctions and a quality bus corridor is needed. If the development is to proceed there needs to be a clear Guiding Principle that the amount of additional traffic using the A2270 Eastbourne Road needs to be reduced as far as possible. www.stephenlloyd.org.uk Whilst Stephen Lloyd MP will treat as confidential any personal information which you pass on, he will normally allow staff and authorised volunteers to see it if this is needed to help and advise you. The MP may pass on all or some of this information to agencies such as the DSS, the Inland Revenue or the local Council if this is necessary to help with your case. Stephen Lloyd MP may wish to write to you from time to time to keep you informed on issues which you may find of interest. Please let him know if you do not wish to be contacted for this purpose. The obvious intervention is to make the main vehicular access point at the SDA 5 site in Dittons Road so as to link up easily with Jubilee Way and the Polegate By Pass. That access is supported by both Willingdon and Jevington Parish Council and Polegate Town Council. It is suggested that additionally there are potential vehicular and pedestrian accesses from Courtland Road, Spurway Park, Brightling Road/Black Path and Polly Arch at Polegate. They need to be fully considered to reduce the traffic using the A2270 and also to work towards the stated objective of supporting Polegate High Street. Increased and improved public transport is supported but the quality bus corridor proposed which is described as a 15 minute service between Hailsham and Eastbourne and is needed to support the developments in Hailsham and Hellingly does not work when traffic is at a standstill between Polegate and Willingdon.