Plans to build homes on former public green space in Bexhill refused by inspector at appeal

In a decision notice published on Friday (March 31), a planning inspector has dismissed proposals to build three houses on a patch of open land between 18 and 20 Collington Park Crescent.

The site had deliberately been left as an undeveloped area of open green space when Collington Park Crescent was built in the 1970s and this remained the case up until 2019, when public access was withdrawn by a new landowner. Several trees were also removed from the site.

The withdrawal of access came alongside the refusal of a 2018 scheme to build three houses on the site. That application was refused by Rother District Council (and then later at appeal) on the grounds that it would result in the “unjustified loss of an area of amenity green space.”

In this latest application, submitted in 2022, the developer argued that changes to both the site itself and the national planning context meant a similar scheme should now be approved.

A key part of this case was the fact that the land was no longer accessible to the public.

Despite this, Rother District Council once again refused planning permission on the same grounds as the previous scheme.

This view was ultimately shared by the planning inspector.

In their decision notice the planning inspector wrote: “I acknowledge that the benefit accruing from the appeal site changed markedly in 2019. Withdrawal of public access means that the site is no longer able to be used for informal recreation by local people.

“However, it does still have value in providing a green open space visually relieving the otherwise built-up surroundings.”

They added: “Development of the site as proposed would remove the remaining value the site has as open land. It would no longer provide a visual break in views along Collington Park Crescent and would obscure the views across the site towards the trees and grass verge in Salvington Crescent.

“The designs of the proposed houses are themselves unobjectionable but the loss of open space and greenery that would result from their development would have a harmful impact on the character and appearance of the area.”