Plans revealed for 149 homes on farmland near Eastbourne

The proposal, relating to land at Sharnfold Farm on Hailsham Road, Stone Cross, seeks outline planning permission to transform the agricultural land into a residential area.

Stone Cross is a village with a population of around 2,000, located just to the north of Eastbourne, though it falls within Wealden district.

An outline planning application establishes the basic principles of a development, such as scale, location, and use, before more detailed designs are submitted.

A view of the site as it currently looks (Image: John Whiting Architect) If approved, a reserved matters application will be necessary to outline specific aspects like appearance, layout, and landscaping before construction can begin.

The illustrative site layout details a mix of proposed housing types and sizes, including one-bedroom flats, two-bedroom flats and houses, and larger four-bedroom homes.

The plan also includes provision for 35 per cent affordable housing.

So far, the proposal has attracted eight objections and no letters of support from the public.

Residents have expressed concerns about the potential loss of green farmland and the strain on local infrastructure.

The proposed layout of the development (Image: John Whiting Architect) Nicholas Law, one of the objectors, said: "The area has already been extensively developed.

"This proposal contributes to an unsustainable level of local overdevelopment."

Alice Ketch added: "Without adequate support for the local community by means of schooling and healthcare, I cannot support another 149 homes being built in the area.

"The local dentist is full. You cannot get a doctor's appointment. The schools have classes of more than 30.

"I live on one of the estates built 10 years ago, and this site originally was supposed to include such local support, but this never came to fruition."

A suggestion of how the housing might look (Image: John Whiting Architect) Concerns about the impact on local amenities were echoed by Stuart Dean, who said: "Sewage is a major issue already and no development of this size should even be considered until a new reservoir has been constructed.

"You then have issues around dentists and doctors, as well as traffic issues, and the poor state of the roads."

Julie Bradford Aaberg objected: "We would be losing even more agricultural land, and beautiful countryside views.

"There are so many developments in this area already taking away spaces that are important for our wildlife."

The plans can be viewed on the Wealden District Council planning portal using the reference WD/2025/1738/MAO.