Major housing development to go before Polegate planners

On Thursday (March 11), Wealden District Council’s Planning Committee South is due to consider a reserved matters application seeking permission to build 151 homes on land to the north of Jubilee Drive.

The scheme was granted outline planning permission at appeal last year, with the council ordered to pay costs for what an inspector judged to be an ‘unreasonable’ refusal by councillors.

The outline consent, which was for up to 180 homes, means the scheme has already been approved in principle. As a result, the committee will be deciding on details of the scheme, such as its design, appearance and scale. Council planning officers are recommending these details be approved.

In a report to the committee, a council planning spokesman said: “The principle, quantum of development and access into the site has been established by virtue of the extant outline planning permission.

“Vehicular and pedestrian access from Highgrove Crescent was approved as part of the outline planning permission. Traffic impact on the wider highway network and the means of vehicular access into the site were considered fully as part of the outline application.

“Conditions are attached to the outline planning permission regarding access and off-site highway improvements are secured via the legal agreement.

“This reserved matters application relates solely to the scale, appearance, layout and landscaping of the development.”

If approved, the 151 homes would be made up of: 16 one-bedroom flats; one two-bedroom flat; two one-bedroom houses; 29 two-bedroom houses; 64 three-bedroom houses; and 39 four-bedroom houses. Of these 40 are set to be affordable properties and eight self-build plots.

For further details see application reference WD/2023/2958/MRM on the Wealden District Council website.