Plans for a retirees’ caravan park on the outskirts of Bexhill have been refused at appeal.
In a decision notice published on Tuesday (April 4), a planning inspector has dismissed an appeal on proposals to site 51 static caravans on greenfield land to the south west of Ninfield Road.
The caravans, which were to have been exclusively for those over the age of 55, would have been an expansion of the Chestnut Meadows Camping and Caravan Site. Unlike the existing site, the caravans were proposed for use as full-time residences.
However, Rother District Council refused the scheme in February last year, primarily due to concerns around its location, which officers concluded was both a ‘valuable countryside gap’ and a ‘unsustainable’ location for development.
Officers also noted that the site falls outside of Bexhill’s development boundary, meaning the development would have gone against local planning policy.
The applicant disputed this conclusion, arguing the scheme should have been approved.
As part of this, the applicant argued the scheme would have access to day-to-day services in Lunsford Cross and be well-screened from view. They also argued that the council’s housing shortage meant the development boundary concerns should not be given significant weight.
Ultimately, however, the planning inspector shared the council’s concerns and dismissed both the appeal and a simultaneous application for costs.
In their decision notice, the planning inspector wrote:
“[The scheme would] represent development in open countryside, having little regard to the strategy of focusing new development in existing settlements. Even accepting that the strategy carried less weight because of the lack of housing land supply, I consider that conflict to be significant.
“The development would also harm the character and appearance of the countryside. Unlike the recent residential developments off Ninfield Road …. the proposal would introduce substantial development on agricultural land that would adversely affect its open undeveloped appearance and agrarian character.
“The development would also not be particularly accessible. Although I acknowledge the facilities available close to the site, and the alternative transport modes available to future residents, these are limited in scope and a substantial proportion of trips would still be likely to be undertaken by private motor car.”
For further information about the appeal see application reference RR/2021/102/P on the Rother District Council website.
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