Bexhill plans for more than 400 new homes

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Three proposed housing developments for Bexhill, which could see hundreds of new homes built, will be discussed by Rother planners next week.

Gladman Developments Ltd has put forward plans for the demolition of Kiteye Farm in Ninfield Road and associated outbuildings and the building of up to 250 homes, a separate proposal to build up to 130 houses on land at Mayo Lane, and the construction of up to 80 homes on land off Watermill Lane.

The three proposed developments will be discussed next Thursday (March 23) by the council.

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Residents in the area have raised concerns over the proposed plans at Kiteye Farm, saying the area of town was being ‘subjected to numerous planning applications’.

Residents by Kiteye Farm, Bexhill, who are concerned about plans to build up to 250 homes in the area. Picture taken in October 2022Residents by Kiteye Farm, Bexhill, who are concerned about plans to build up to 250 homes in the area. Picture taken in October 2022
Residents by Kiteye Farm, Bexhill, who are concerned about plans to build up to 250 homes in the area. Picture taken in October 2022

Last October, resident Joyce Heward wrote to Bexhill and Battle MP Huw Merriman to voice her concerns.

At the time, she said: “This lovely seaside town will be like a city very soon. If all these plans go ahead Mayo Rise, and my bungalow in particular, will be surrounded on all sides by construction. I moved from a housing estate in Brixton for a better quality of life.

"I cannot live in the middle of a building site with workmen looking into my low-lying bedroom and kitchen from dawn until dusk. I have spent 20 years turning my garden into a wildlife sanctuary.”

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Residents in the area have voiced their objections on RDC’s planning portal.

Residents opposing plans to build up to 80 homes in Watermill Lane in Bexhill because Mayo Lane, which is where the the residents are standing, is a very narrow road and will probably get even busier if the plans go ahead, they said. Picture taken in December 2021Residents opposing plans to build up to 80 homes in Watermill Lane in Bexhill because Mayo Lane, which is where the the residents are standing, is a very narrow road and will probably get even busier if the plans go ahead, they said. Picture taken in December 2021
Residents opposing plans to build up to 80 homes in Watermill Lane in Bexhill because Mayo Lane, which is where the the residents are standing, is a very narrow road and will probably get even busier if the plans go ahead, they said. Picture taken in December 2021

Deborah Welford said: “I strongly object for more housing being built on all that's left of our green spaces. We are supposed to be saving our planet not destroying it more and more. We need all our wildlife to support our eco-system.”

Residents have also voiced opposition to the plans regarding land off Watermill Lane, saying that the neighbouring street, Mayo Lane, will see increased traffic and become more dangerous for pedestrians.

A fourth application by the company, a scheme to build 210 homes off Fryatts Way in Bexhill, was given the go-ahead by the planning inspector in January this year following an appeal lodged by Gladman Developements Ltd.

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The appeal was lodged in June 2021 on the basis that Rother District Council (RDC) had failed to make a decision within the legal timeframe.

The council confirmed during the appeal process that it likely would have refused the application if it had made its way to a planning committee due to concerns around its location and impact on the character of the surrounding area.

In a design and access statement by CSA Environmental, on behalf of Gladman Developments Ltd, developers said the scheme at Kiteye Farm ‘will allow for appropriate landscape and ecological enhancement measures to be applied, provision of new public open space, including a new children’s play area, outdoor sport facilities and a Multi-Use Games Area, and the retention of the vast majority of the site’s existing landscape features’.

As regards the proposed development off Watermill Lane, developers from Gladman said: “The site is sustainably located. New homes will have easy access to local services and facilities, public transport links, employment areas and the public right of way network.

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“There are a number of mature trees and hedgerows within the site, which have been retained as part of the scheme proposals and are proposed to be integrated into the areas of public open space within the development.”

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