Planning in Wealden

Distribution of Employment (B Class) and Retail (convenience and comparison)

Land will be allocated to meet the employment and retail provision of Policy WCS1 in accordance with the following distribution: New allocations Employment (B1/B2/B8) (net floorspace sq. metres) / Retail (A1 convenience and comparison) (net floorspace sq. metres): Uckfield: 12,650 / 10,707 Hailsham and Hellingly: 8,650 / 6,230 Crowborough: 0 / 0 Heathfield: 0 / 0 Polegate and Willingdon/ Stone Cross: 16,890 / 0 Rural area: 0 / 0 Total Wealden: 38,190 / 16,937 Broad locations for employment and retail development in Policy WCS3 are shown as insets on the Key Diagram. Individual sites to meet these provisions will be allocated in the Site Allocation DPDs.

Biodiversity

In order to contribute to the biodiversity targets provided in the Sussex Biodiversity Action Plan the Council will prevent a net loss of biodiversity, ensure a comprehensive network of habitats, and work with partners to maximise opportunities to ensure habitats, biodiversity features and ecological networks are maintained, restored, enhanced and where possible created to achieve a net gain in biodiversity and sustain wildlife in both rural and urban areas. This will be achieved through the development and implementation of an integrated green network strategy. In accordance with Planning Policy Statement 9, please see page 49 'Working with the South Downs National Park Authority' and the reference to publication of the NPPF and cancellation of a number of Planning Policy Statements and Guidance Notes, there may be exceptional circumstances when compensatory measures for a net loss of biodiversity is required. Appropriate compensatory measures will be required to contribute to Wealden's overall biodiversity resource, and may include enhancement of Wealden's Biodiversity Opportunity Areas and other relevant Biodiversity Action Plan habitats, so that there is overall no net loss of biodiversity. In order to avoid the adverse effect on the integrity of the Ashdown Forest Special Protection Area and Special Area of Conservation it is the Council's intention to reduce the recreational impact of visitors resulting from new housing development within 7 kilometres of Ashdown Forest by creating an exclusion zone of 400 metres for net increases in dwellings in the Delivery and Site Allocations Development Plan Document and requiring provision of Suitable Alternative Natural Green Space and contributions to on-site visitor management measures as part of policies required as a result of development at SD1, SD8, SD9 and SD10 in the Strategic Sites Development Plan Document. Mitigation measures within 7 kilometres of Ashdown Forest for windfall development, including provision of Suitable Alternative Natural Green Space and on-site visitor management measures will be contained within the Delivery and Sites Allocation Development Plan Document and will be associated with the implementation of the integrated green network strategy. In the meantime the Council will work with appropriate partners to identify Suitable Alternative Natural Green Space and on-site management measures at Ashdown Forest so that otherwise acceptable development is not prevented from coming forward by the absence of acceptable mitigation. The Council will also undertake further investigation of the impacts of nitrogen deposition on the Ashdown Forest Special Area of Conservation so that its effects on development in the longer term can be more fully understood and mitigated if appropriate.

Green Infrastructure

The District's existing network of green infrastructure will be protected, improved and enhanced by the implementation of a Green Infrastructure Strategy, ensuring a multifunctional, accessible network which maintains and improves biodiversity and landscape character, increases opportunities for healthy living and contributes to healthy ecosystems and climate change objectives. Development proposals will not be permitted which would result in the loss of existing open space or harm to Wealden's network of green spaces unless measures are incorporated within the development that will either mitigate the effects of development or alternative and suitable provision is made that is accessible, of good quality and value to its users, in an appropriate location, at an appropriate scale and nature and would positively contribute to the overall network of green space. All new residential development will be required to contribute to the green infrastructure network and where appropriate to make provision for new or enhancement of existing open space. Where the scale of development would be too small to make on-site provision, the Council will seek developer contributions either towards the improvement of existing open spaces or towards the provision of open space elsewhere.

Provision of Homes and Jobs 2006-2027

Land will be identified in subsequent Development Plan Documents for the provision of some 4525 net additional dwellings in Wealden District to provide for 9440 dwellings over the period 2006-2027. Provision will be made for some net additional 40,000 sq. metres net employment floorspace (B1/B2/B8) to provide for 128,695 sq. metres net employment floorspace and 17,000 sq. metres net additional retail floorspace over the period 2006-2027. The strategy shall be reviewed in 2015 or when a preferred solution to the capacity issues associated with Hailsham North and Hailsham South Wastewater Treatment Works has been identified, whichever is the earlier, in order to ensure that there is an adequate supply of development land in the longer term. The review shall include an assessment of current and future levels of need and demand for housing to provide an appropriate basis for longer term housing provision.

The Travelling Community - Provision for Gypsies and Travellers

To meet the identified need for Gypsies and Travellers within the District for the period 2006 to 2016, 32 pitches will be provided for (an additional 23 pitches). Sites will be allocated within the Delivery and Site Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD) to make up any shortfall.

The Travelling Community- Provision for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople: Site Criteria

In assessing the suitability of sites for allocation for permanent residential sites both for Gypsies and Travellers, and for the purposes of considering planning applications for sites for Gypsies and Travellers and for Travelling Showpeople, proposals will be supported where the following criteria are met: Well related to existing settlements with local services and facilities. Sites should either be within or close to such settlements or close to major roads and/or public transport thus affording good access to local services; Have safe and convenient vehicular access, be suitable in terms of topography and be in a location where the necessary infrastructure already exists or can reasonably be provided; Be able to achieve a reasonable level of visual and acoustic privacy for both people living on the site and for those living nearby. The site will provide an acceptable level of amenity for the proposed residents and will not have an unacceptable level of impact on the residential amenity of neighbouring dwellings; Not compromise the essential features of nationally designated areas of landscape, historical or nature conservation protection, including the South Downs National Park and High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Ashdown Forest Special Area of Conservation and Special Protection Area, and the Pevensey Levels Ramsar site should be avoided as potential locations; and Avoid locations where there is a risk of flooding, or which are adjacent to incompatible uses such as a refuse tip, sewage treatment works or significantly contaminated land. In the case of sites for Travelling Showpeople, proposals will be assessed upon the basis of established need. Site suitability assessment will also take account of the nature and scale of the Showpeople's business in terms of the land required for storage and/or the exercising of animals.

Distribution of Housing Growth 2006-2027

Land will be allocated to meet the housing provision of WCS1 in accordance with the following distribution: Total dwellings (2006-2027) / New allocations (dwellings) / Built or already committed (dwellings): Uckfield: 1742 / 1000 / 742 Hailsham and Hellingly: 2945 / 1300 / 1645 Polegate and Willingdon: 1265 / 700 / 565 Stone Cross and Westham: 692 / 650 / 42 Crowborough: 932 / 300 / 632 Heathfield and Waldron: 292 / To be determined in a subsequent DPD / 292 Adjacent to Tunbridge Wells boundary (within Frant Parish): 173 / 120 / 53 Rural villages: 1373 / 455 / 918 Total Wealden: 9414 / 4525 / 4889 Broad locations for housing development in Policy WCS2 are shown as insets on the Key Diagram. Individual sites to meet these housing provisions will be allocated in the Site Allocation DPDs.

Strategic Development Areas

The following strategic development areas are the locations that are considered to be critical to the delivery of the overall strategy and provide for the new housing employment and community facilities as follows: SD1: Land at West Uckfield - provision of around 1,000 dwellings, 12,650 square metres net employment floorspace and education provision SD2: Land at East Hailsham - provision of around 600 dwellings SD3: Land at North Hailsham - provision of around 700 dwellings, 8,650 square metres net employment floorspace, 300 square metres retail floor space and education provision SD4: Land at South Polegate and East Willingdon - provision of around 700 dwellings, 8,600 square metres net employment floorspace, leisure, recreation and community facilities SD5: Land at Dittons Road, Polegate - provision of around 8,290 square metres net employment floorspace SD6: Land at East and South East of Stone Cross - provision of around 220 dwellings with flexibility between SD6 and SD7 SD7: Land at North Stone Cross - provision of around 430 dwellings with flexibility between SD6 and SD7 SD8: Land at Pine Grove, Crowborough and SD9: Land at Jarvis Brook, Crowborough - provision of around 140 dwellings SD10: Land at South East Crowborough - provision of around 160 dwellings SD11: Land adjacent to Tunbridge Wells, in the Parish of Frant - provision of around 120 dwellings The Strategic Development Areas are provided in the Key Diagram and allocation of sites and specific policies, including phasing where necessary, will be provided in the Strategic Sites Development Plan Document.

Managing the Release of Housing Land

The release of land for housing will be managed so that it will deliver the level and broad distribution of development set out in Policy WCS2. The release of land will be dependant on the timely provision of infrastructure necessary to deliver housing, including affordable housing. The adequacy of housing land supply will be assessed regularly through reviews of the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment, the Infrastructure Delivery Plan and through regular housing land availability monitoring. Monitoring will allow effective cohesion between housing delivery and the provision of infrastructure.

Rural Areas Strategy

The rural areas comprise the following categories of settlement: Service Centre Local Service Centre Neighbourhood Centre Unclassified settlements Within Service Centres, Local Centres and Neighbourhood Centres (excluding Stone Cross, Polegate and Willingdon and Heathfield) provision will be made for at least 455 new dwellings. The Delivery and Site Allocations DPD will allocate sites for development sufficient to ensure that the requirements above can be met. Development boundaries will not be retained for settlements classified as a neighbourhood centre or unclassified settlement. Development boundaries will be retained or provided at: Forest Row, Hartfield, Groombridge, Wadhurst, Mayfield, Frant, Buxted, Herstmonceux, Ninfield, Pevensey Bay, Horam, Alfriston, Westham and Rotherfield. Development boundaries as shown in the adopted Wealden Local Plan are removed from: Berwick Station, Blackboys, Broad Oak, Cross-in-Hand, East Dean and Friston, East Hoathly, Fairwarp, Five Ash Down, Five Ashes, Framfield, Hadlow Down, Halland, Hooe Common, Isfield, Lower Dicker, Lower Horsebridge, Maresfield, Mark Cross, Maynards Green, Nutley, Pevensey, Punnetts Town, Upper Dicker, Vines Cross and Windmill Hill. Retained or new development boundaries will be reviewed as part of the Strategic Sites and Delivery and Site Allocations DPDs as appropriate.

Affordable Housing

New housing developments will be expected to provide for a mix of dwelling size, type and tenure that meet the identified housing needs of the community. The Council will require affordable housing on sites of 5 or more dwellings (net) or on sites of 0.2 hectares or more. Affordable housing will be required at a level of 35% of the number of dwellings in any scheme. Where sites are allocated in a site allocations Development Plan Document, that document may specify a different, and potentially higher, housing target, having regards to the findings of the Wealden Housing Viability Assessment and any site specific considerations. Affordable housing provision should incorporate a mix of tenures. The Council will negotiate the exact tenure split on each site. However, the presumption is that around 80% of the total number of affordable homes provided will be for social rented accommodation with the remainder being for intermediate accommodation. Where it can be proven that affordable housing cannot be achieved, due to economic viability, there will be flexibility in meeting stated targets. In such exceptional circumstances, it will be the responsibility of the applicant to demonstrate that the requirements of the policy cannot be met and the closest alternative target that can be achieved taking into account viability and need. The affordable housing will be integrated into the development and be indistinguishable in design terms from the market housing on the site. Affordable housing should be delivered on site, however, in exceptional circumstances Wealden District Council will accept a commuted sum or free serviced land in lieu of on site provision. These circumstances may include provision where a Registered Provider finds it uneconomic or impractical to provide the units in the scale or form agreed. Any financial contributions will be pooled and used to enable affordable housing provision within Wealden District.

Rural Exception Affordable Housing

In exceptional circumstances, planning permission may be granted for small scale affordable residential development in rural areas outside development boundaries in order to meet an identified local housing need among those people unable to compete in the normal housing market. Suitable sites will be located within or be well-related to a settlement which either provides reasonable access to local services and facilities, or has good accessibility to larger settlements nearby which provide a range of services and facilities. The scale of the proposed affordable housing development should be appropriate in relation to the size of the settlement and sites should not be isolated or intrusive within the landscape. Sites developed under this policy will be subject to controls on the occupancy of the housing to ensure it continues to provide affordable homes which address local housing needs in perpetuity. The affordable homes will be managed by an approved Registered Provider.

Effective Provision of Infrastructure

The release of land for development will be conditional upon there being sufficient capacity in the existing local infrastructure to meet the requirements generated by the proposed development. Where development would create the need to provide additional or improved community facilities, services and infrastructure to mitigate its impact, a programme of delivery must be agreed with the relevant infrastructure providers which will ensure that these improvements are provided at the time they are needed. These may involve coordinating contributions from the development with other investment streams. This approach will ensure that the necessary improvements can be completed in a timely manner to support growth. Arrangements for the provision or improvement of infrastructure to the required standard will be secured by planning agreement/ obligation, or by condition attached to the planning consent or by any other appropriate mechanism. The adequacy of infrastructure provision in Wealden will be the subject of regular review with infrastructure providers as part of the ongoing work on the Infrastructure Delivery Plan. This will include health, transport, utility services, and education providers and will be reported as part of the Local Plan monitoring arrangements in the Annual Monitoring Report.

Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development

When considering development proposals the Council will take a positive approach that reflects the presumption in favour of sustainable development contained in the National Planning Policy Framework. It will always work proactively with applicants jointly to find solutions which mean that proposals can be approved wherever possible, and to secure development that improves the economic, social and environmental conditions in the area. Planning applications that accord with the policies in the Local Plan (and, where relevant, with policies in neighbourhood plans) will be approved without delay, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Where there are no policies relevant to the application or relevant policies are out of date at the time of making the decision then the Council will grant permission unless material considerations indicate otherwise – taking into account whether: Any adverse impacts of granting permission would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in the National Planning Policy Framework taken as a whole; or Specific policies in that Framework indicate that development should be restricted.