Table 1

The Rural Areas need to accomodate more than local need. Rural areas must contribute towards the roles that settlements like Robertsbridge make to the District and play an appropriate role in the distributions of housing. Robertsbridge with its main line rail station and proximity to a sustainable transport network should allow it to make a significant contribution to the housing need of the District as a whole.

Rural Areas - meeting the needs of the rural communties is fundamental if the rural communtiies are to be supported and enhanced.

It is essential that appropriate levels of additional housing and employment development are allocated to the Rural Sevice Centres, such as Robertsbridge, in order to both protect and enhance their sustainability and also to expand the range of local shops, services and facilities they offer and to provide additional smaller dwellings suitable for younger people and young families.

For example, Robertsbridge could accommodate more housing than allocated to it in Figure 12, without any adverse impact on the AONB.

In particular, the land at Grove Farm, Robertsbridge, has greater potential than the 35 dwellings identified in the SHLAA and greater than the (at least) 30 dwellings allocated to it as a reserve housing site under the provsions of Local Plan Policy VL7. It is estimated that the capacity of the site (i.e. RB2, 4, 5 & 7) is around 90 dwellings.

This site can be developed without adverse impact on the ANOB and is physically and visually enclosed by the A21 by-pass. As such it is a good opportunity to support the modest growth of Robertsbridge in a sustainable way.

Table 1 - Strategic Objectives

The strategic objective for the rural area in 2026 should be amended to acknowledge that villages will be the centre of sustainable rural communities, and that the achievement of this will involve housing and economic development over the plan period, in accordance with the objectives of PPS 7.

The Environmental Objectives neglects what has repeatedly been raised by residents, particularly in villages, as the principal environmental blight on their lives, which is speeding traffic. Reduction of this problem needs to be highlighted as a strategic aim.

We regret the lack of emphasis at the highest strategic level to the heritage of the District. This is important to the sense of place and to objectives such as sustainable tourism.