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Search the Public Notice PortalA former councillor is criticising the council for failing to take firmer action after land in the South Downs National Park was converted into a traveller site without permission.
In May 2020, the land north of The Crescent in Newhaven, which was previously used for sheep and horse grazing, underwent a significant transformation.
A digger appeared, excavating the land and laying down hardcore, effectively converting the green field into a car park.
In the months that followed, travellers began to arrive at the site.
Then-District Ward Councillor Sean MacLeod says he contacted Lewes District Council (LDC) in 2020, informing them of the situation and requesting their involvement.
Initially, Sean says, the council's response was slow, and an error in issuing notices meant that no action commenced until December 2020.
A stop notice was subsequently issued by Lewes District Council to the landowner.
LDC then requested that the landowner restore the land to its original state. This stage of the process took two years.
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In 2022, Lewes District Council informed the SDNP of its intention to prosecute the landowners.
“When I left, the last thing I knew was that we were going to prosecute the landowner,” Sean said.
After submitting a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, Sean discovered that, three years on, no prosecution has taken place.
The application will be reviewed by the planning committee this month, and a decision will be made.
“For me, this situation demonstrates sheer incompetence from Lewes District Council,” Sean said.
“The fact that LDC informed the South Downs National Park in 2022 of its intent to prosecute the landowners, only to take no further action for three years, leading to a retrospective planning application for a permanent site, is a significant concern.
“It is vital that if this matter proceeds to a planning committee, all the full facts are presented.
"Currently, there is a claim that this has only been a traveller site since 2022, when in reality, its history dates back further, with travellers moving on in 2020.
“The treatment of the South Downs National Park in this manner, with such a disregard for the local wildlife and flora, is a travesty. The land will likely never fully recover its original state, and the lack of action against those involved is shocking.
“It sets a dangerous precedent that people can come in and do what they like while ignoring the planning rules. It makes a mockery of the planning process.”
A spokesman for Lewes District Council said: “Earlier this year four caravans were located on the site without planning permission.
“Our planning enforcement team sent a warning letter to the landowner.
“The landowner then submitted a planning application for a ‘private traveller site comprising four caravans’.
“The planning application is being assessed.”
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