Bexhill housing development of 210 homes off Fryatts Way approved at appeal by planning inspector

In a decision notice published last Friday (January 6), a planning inspector has approved plans to build up to 210 houses on land at Fryatts Way.

The appeal, from developer Gladman Developments Ltd, was lodged in June 2021 on the basis that Rother District Council had failed to make a decision within the legal timeframe.

Even so, 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. This, council officers said, was due to concerns around its location and impact on the character of the surrounding area.

The inspector considered these concerns, agreeing with the council that the location would be outside of a comfortable walking distance for most local facilities, fall outside the Bexhill development boundary and result in a ‘moderate harm’ to the appearance of the site.

Despite this, the inspector concluded the scheme should go ahead, primarily because of a shortage of housing in the district when compared to government housing targets. National planning rules say there should be a presumption in favour of development in these circumstances.

In their decision notice, the inspector said: “Overall, the adverse impacts of the appeal scheme would not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits when assessed against the policies in the [National Planning Policy] Framework taken as a whole.

“Accordingly, on this occasion other considerations indicate the decision should be taken otherwise than in accordance with the development plan.”

The scheme was approved in outline only.