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Search the Public Notice PortalControversial plans for a development are set to go back in front of councillors, following calls to reduce the scale of the proposals.
On Wednesday (June 10), Lewes District Council’s planning committee is due to reconsider proposals to build up to 140 homes on land associated with Howells Bank Farm — a site to the west of Broyle Side, near Ringmer.
The outline proposals had last been considered by the committee in April. Councillors opted to defer the application so applicant Catesby Strategic Land would make changes to address concerns.
Concerns included: the sustainability of the location; landscape impact, the amount of community infrastructure; and the number of dwellings proposed.
In a report to the committee, officers said the applicant had declined to reduce the number of dwellings but put forward changes for sustainable transport.
According to officers, the applicant is proposing to increase the value of the cycle vouchers to be issued to each new household.
The applicant had proposed to give each household a £200 voucher towards the purchase of a bicycle. It now intends to increase the value of this voucher to £750 to incentivize the purchase of E-bikes instead.
The applicant also intends to provide car club facilities within the site. This would be expected to take the form of two electric vehicles, with each household provided with three years of free car club membership.
The incentives could be secured through conditions, officers said.
In a report to the committee, a council planning spokesman said: “It is considered that the combined effect of easily accessible EV car club facilities along with the incentives for its use, and the increase in value of cycle vouchers that will be provided will reduce car dependency, increase options for sustainable transport and encourage a change in behaviour in regard to use of the private car for all journeys.
“This is in addition to the benefits provided by footway widening, provision of cycle paths and improvement in bus infrastructure that had already been agreed.”
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The report warns that refusal on grounds of “locational sustainability” would be unlikely to succeed at appeal and could see the council ordered to pay costs for “unreasonable behaviour”.
Officers, who are maintaining a recommendation to approve the application, also judge the density of the development to be appropriate for the site. Officers say this judgement takes into account the council’s overall housing supply position, which puts weight in favour of development as a result of national planning rules.
The proposals have proven to be controversial among residents, who have submitted more than 583 letters of objection.
Concerns include pressure on local infrastructure; the sustainability of the site; the level of growth already approved; and landscape impact, among other matters.
For further information see application reference LW/24/0760 on the Lewes District Council planning website.
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