The draft Wealden Local Plan, created by the Green/Lib Dem/Labour alliance running the District, proposes substantial housing growth across High Weald parishes, warns Conservative candidate Michael Lunn, standing for East Sussex County Council in Wealden North-East.
The most significant in Frant, allocated 682 new dwellings, raising major concerns about landscape impact, heritage pressures and traffic capacity within the High Weald, explains Michael who is currently a district councillor for Hadlow Down and Rotherfield.
All five parishes: Rotherfield, Frant (including Bells Yew Green), Hadlow Down, Mayfield and Wadhurst, lie within the High Weald National Landscape – an area explicitly recognised for its historic medieval field pattern, ancient woodland, ridgelines and exceptional landscape sensitivity.
The scale of proposed growth in some locations places considerable pressure on rural roads, drainage, heritage settings, and landscape character.
Conservative candidate Michael Lunn said “I am deeply concerned by the sheer scale of housing proposed by the Green Party, Lib-Dem and Labour Alliance. This is one of the most historic and environmentally sensitive-areas in the country, and once its character is lost, it cannot be restored.
Residents deserve clear, honest answers about how this level of development can be accommodated without damaging the countryside, overloading rural infrastructure, or eroding the distinct identity of our villages.”
"Only last week David Hinton admitted to Wealden councillors that SouthEast Water cannot meet demand and the level of unsustainable growth", explains Michael.
"This growth has been supported by the Green Party, Liberal Democrats and Labour.
"What makes this worse is the Green Party suggests they want to protect the Environment but this is within the HighWeald National Landscape making a mockery of National Planning Policy Framework."
