RE: BX116-LAND OFF SPINDLEWOOD DRIVE, BEXHILL - DEVELOPMENT AND SITE ALLOCATIONS PLAN

In response to the current consultation on the Rother Development and Site Allocations Plan (DaSA), please find below representations on behalf of the landowners of land off Spindlewood Drive, Bexhill, Rother District Council reference BX116.

We wish to commend the Council for the pro-active, collaborative and extensive amount of work which has been taken by Officers in respect of drafting this document and in particular the draft allocation put forward at the 'Land off Spindewood Drive'. A significant amount of survey work has been requested and reviewed by the Council, above and beyond the level of work often carried out in respect of site allocations documents.

Through the extensive pre-application discussions, advice and representations to the adopted Core Strategy Document, SHLAA and now the Development and Site Allocations Document it has been established that the proposals benefit from:

* An agreed access point into the site and all highways matters agreed with Highways England and East Sussex County Council;
* Natural screening provided by established boundary planting which will be maintained and enhanced by the scheme, ensuring that all views of the site and neighbouring amenity are maintained and protected, resulting in an attractive and aesthetically pleasing development;
* Nature enhancements including tree retention, additional planting and green areas which will improve upon the biodiversity and sustainability of the site;
* Situated wholly within flood zone 1 which provides the lowest risk from flooding;
* A natural extension to the established residential area of Little Common;
* Extremely well linked to Little Common and the wider Bexhill area, with a number of public transport options available to residents including Cooden Beach train station which is a short walk from the site;
* All matters identified for consideration at the site, during pre-application discussions and the previous Rother SHLAA assessment (access and retention of tourist facility) fully resolved and agreed with Officers; and,
* No outstanding matters which will prevent the submission of a planning application and delivery of development at the site within the next 12 months.

In addition to the consultation through the emerging Rother Local Plan, Highways England and East Sussex County Council have been consulted, along with the Local Resident's interest group and Ward Councillor. We have sought and we will continue to incorporate comments where feasible, in order to ensure that the best possible scheme can be achieved in this location.

Rather than leave detailed survey work to the planning application stage, the three pertinent areas to development coming forward at this site, namely transport, ecology and indicative layout have been fully addressed and agreed, and indeed detailed transport and ecology reports have been published alongside the DaSA in respect of this site.

This approach ensures that any uncertainty over the minimum number of units that can be delivered has been fully addressed and that there are no outstanding issues that would delay the site coming forward in the short term. It should be noted that the amount of survey work undertaken and published alongside the DaSA consultation for land off Spindlewood Drive exceeds the information published for the other sites in Bexhill, demonstrating the suitability of the site and the commitment to deliver much needed local housing in the near future.

The completed ecological survey work identified that the site is of low ecological value and is developable for residential development as set out on the indicative masterplan for the site. All recommended phase 2 work has been undertaken, this has all been acceptable and confirms the conclusion that the site is developable. All recommendations have been taken on board and have shaped the proposals. On this basis, the proposals are entirely acceptable and indeed beneficial, from an ecological and nature perspective.

The transport work undertaken has been fully signed off by Highways England and East Sussex County Council, demonstrating that the scheme, proposed access solution and local highways network are entirely suitable for accommodating the development.

This front-loaded approach to survey work, will enable a future planning application to run smoothly.

In conclusion, there is certainty that this site has no outstanding issues and sustainable and beneficial residential development can be delivered in the short term. Therefore, we fully concur with the draft allocation for some 160 dwellings and Policy BEX9, for this site as set out in DaSA document.

The allocation of this site as well as other suitable opportunities, will not only assist in meeting housing targets, but will enable Rother District Council to ensure that much needed housing comes forward in sustainable locations; enabling the Council to resist potentially unsuitable sites being pushed forward which could create unsustainable patterns of development to the detriment of local communities.