Support
Proposed Submission Core Strategy
Representation ID: 20987
Received: 10/11/2011
Respondent: East Sussex County Council
Support is given to BHLR and its importance to the overall strategy for Bexhill. ESCC strongly support phased development if the BHLR is delayed. Support is not given to the redistribution of development to other settlements in the district if the Link Road is delayed.
Support is given to Policy OSS2 (iii) but further clarification is sought on OSS2 (iii - e). The assumption is the pre-link development rate as set out in Chapter 8 is merely an initial rate and will be revised once the scale of development is settled. ESCC does not support a continuation of the pre-link rate with significant consequences on the road network and local infrastructure. ESCC will continue to work with RDC/HBC on modelling work to inform the site allocations DPD
THE CORE STRATEGY'S GENERAL RECOGNITION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
BEXHILL TO HASTINGS LINK ROAD (BHLR) TO THE OVERALL DELIVERY OF THE
STRATEGY IS WELCOMED. AS IS THIS POLICY'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THE BHLR IS AN INTEGRAL, AND CRITICAL, COMPONENT OF THE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR BEXHILL AND FOR THE ECONOMIC REGENERATION OF THE WIDER AREA. THE POLICY'S SUPPORT FOR THE EARLY CONSTRUCTION OF THE BHLR OR IF IT IS DELAYED THE POTENTIAL TO ACHIEVE CONSTRUCTION LATER IN THE PLAN PERIOD IS STRONGLY WELCOMED AND SUPPORTED.
THE COUNTY COUNCIL STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE REDUCTION OF THE DEVELOPMENT TARGET FOR BEXHILL IF THE BHLR IS DELAYED AND THAT THIS WILL NOT AFFECT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR OTHER TOWNS AND VILLAGES. TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE THIS LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT ELSEWHERE IN THE DISTRICT WOULD BE UNSUSTAINABLE, NOT COMPATIBLE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGNATIONS AND PUT INAPPROPRIATE PRESSURE ON COUNTY COUNCIL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICE PROVISION.
THE COUNTY COUNCIL WELCOMES THAT THE CONTINGENCY APPROACH OUTLINED IN (III) OF THE POLICY WILL BE UNDERTAKEN IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COUNTY COUNCIL. IT WOULD THOUGH, BE HELPFUL IF THERE WAS FURTHER CLARIFICATION ON CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF THE POLICY. IT SHOULD BE MADE CLEARER THAT (E) THE CONTINUATION OF A PRE-LINK ROAD DEVELOPMENT RATE, AS SET OUT IN CHAPTER 8, IS MERELY AN INITIAL RATE AND THAT IT WILL BE REVISED ONCE (D) THE DETERMINATION OF THE ACTUAL SCALE OF DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN AGREED. IT SHOULD ALSO BE CONFIRMED THAT THE POLICY DOES NOT PRESUME THAT A CONTINUATION OF THIS RATE FOR THE WHOLE PLAN PERIOD WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE. THE COUNTY COUNCIL BELIEVES THAT THE CURRENT SITUATION AND TRANSPORT MODELLING RESULTS ALREADY SHOW THAT NO DEVELOPMENT CAN TAKE PLACE WITHOUT THE BHLR, DUE TO UNACCEPTABLE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS ON THE A259. FURTHER TRANSPORT MODELLING WORK IS CURRENTLY BEING UNDERTAKEN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ROTHER DISTRICT COUNCIL AND HASTINGS BOROUGH COUNCIL WHICH IS EXPECTED TO CONFIRM THIS.
THE COUNTY COUNCIL WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH ROTHER DISTRICT COUNCIL AND HASTINGS BOROUGH COUNCIL TO CLARIFY THE POSITION AND TO INFORM DEVELOPMENT ALLOCATIONS WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT AND SITE ALLOCATIONS DPD.