Figure 12: Distribution of rural housing allocations
MOD 12.5- Housing Allocations at Fairlight Cove

1. These representations (TCPS Representations No. 7) relate to Rother District Council's Proposed Modification to the distribution of rural housing allocations as set out in Modified Figure 12 (MOD 12.5). These representations should also be read in conjunction with TCPS Representations nos. 2 - 4, which made the case that housing provision in villages should be modified to provide 'at least' 1,672 dwellings and that Figure 12 should be deleted or the proposed housing allocation figures should be included only for illustrative purposes in order to avoid prejudicing consideration of all potential housing sites as part of the forthcoming site allocations/neighbourhood planning process. In particular, paragraph 4 of TCPS Representations No. 4 indicates that there are examples where the Council's updated (June 2013) Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) is open to challenge as individual site potential cannot be properly assessed or open to scrutiny without the detailed site allocations process being undertaken as Part 2 of the Local Plan.

2. These representations (i.e. TCPS Representations No. 7) provide an example of possible housing land at Fairlight Cove, the subject of site no. FC2 in the Council's March 2010 and June 2013 updated versions of the SHLAA. In 2010, the Council considered the land to be suitable, deliverable and available as a potential 'green' status housing site with scope for approximately 30 dwellings. For reasons which are not clear, in the June 2013 updated version of the SHLAA, the site has been downgraded to having an 'amber' status with a reduced estimated potential for 20 dwellings (see SHLAA extracts contained in appendix 1 attached).

3. The Council's Rural Settlement Study (see extracts contained in appendix 2) sets out the function of Fairlight Cove, which has a fairly large population compared to most other Rother villages. This is likely to be a reflection of its close relationship with Hastings to the west, which has a wide range of services including a mainline railway station with direct connections to Tunbridge Wells and London. Other railway stations are about three miles away at Three Oaks and at Ore.

4. There is an existing allocated housing site within Fairlight Cove (at Fairlight Gardens), which is the subject of SHLAA site no. FC1 and Policy VL3 of the adopted Local Plan (see Inset Map no. 14 of the Local Plan's Proposals Map reproduced in appendix 2). Despite the land being allocated for at least 15 dwellings (including 40% affordable housing), the land has not been developed and no planning application has been submitted since the Local Plan was adopted in July 2006. This must give rise to some doubt as to whether this land will come forward for housing development in the future.

5. SHLAA site FC2 adjoins the existing built up area boundary at Fairlight Cove on three sides (to the north, west and south). It is a relatively large parcel of land of around 3.14 hectares, although the Council has assessed the land as having potential for only around 20 - 30 dwellings. The land clearly has potential to accommodate a greater number of housing units as well as having scope to include other community facilities such as allotments or public open space.

6. Modified Figure 12 (MOD 12.5) provides for 17 dwellings as an existing allocation plus 20 dwellings as 'potential new sites'. As there appear to be no other available, suitable or developable housing land at Fairlight Cove, site FE2 is a key candidate site to help meet future housing needs (including affordable housing provision). To set an arbitrary limit of 20 dwellings in Figure 12 would prejudice any potential for additional housing development on the land as part of detailed investigations and submissions at the forthcoming site allocations/neighbourhood planning stage. Given the area of land available, the land clearly has potential for providing more than just 20 dwellings.

Supplementary information submitted with this representation can be found here:
http://www.rother.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=20685