Site Allocation: Land at Northeye (Former UAE Technical Training Project), Bexhill

Potential Development site at Northeye.

Having spent several days reading and trying to digest the DaSA report I find that to make representations I need to place comments on individual sections in a formal way, which I find neither easy nor satisfactory. I therefore wish to submit my general observations, which I trust you will find useful, as follows:

We at Barnhorn Oast Farm regard any proposed development at Northeye with dread as, although we are on the opposite side of the main road, we are subject to a great deal of noise, pollution and nuisance from this area already, all of which manifest themselves in our garden or through doors and windows, open or not, viz. barking dogs, car engines, Clay pigeon shoots, motorcycles, shouting, bonfire smoke, petrol and diesel fumes, etc. Much of this is also due to the traffic congestion caused by works on Barnhorn Green, which is likely to worsen over time, and the mystifying situation of trucks being allowed to turn around at the entrance to Coneyburrow Lane rather than heading west directly from tipping at Marshview Farm, again directly below our property.

Any proposal would exacerbate this situation and we do not wish to replicate the misery experienced by the residents of the De La Warr and Bexhill Roads over the past decades with perpetual traffic outside our home. The bypass was supposed to ensure this did not happen, we believe.

The land at the Northeye site was separated from the Barnhorn Farm Estate in 1944 for the RAF Camp and staff houses; indeed, the Hop Garden on the site supplied Barnhorn Oast, where we live. Perhaps the land should be returned to its original, rightful purpose?

Assuming that the "No Development Option" may not be acceptable to you, we would favour Tourism or Institutional led development as the least intrusive or damaging to the relative peace and tranquillity of this area, west of Bexhill.
This could take the form of an hotel or holiday cabins, Nursing Home, Museums, Educational ( nature reserve, history) all of which would create less traffic, foot or motorised. Recreational areas can create a lot of noise!

Perhaps the UAE would be interested in re-opening their Training School? There was never a problem when they were present.

You make much of the visual impact on public areas such as footpaths and roads but nothing about the effect on close neighbours or potential noise and air pollution, which are the real problems.