Comment

Representation ID: 24736

Received: 31/05/2024

Respondent: Sedlescombe Parish Council

Objectives should be quantified otherwise they can’t truly be measured and achievement properly assessed. These are more aspirations than objectives.

Comment

Representation ID: 24737

Received: 31/05/2024

Respondent: Sedlescombe Parish Council

How are Rother going to deliver affordable housing. The availability of affordable housing continues to decrease. It would be beneficial to have a more specific target that clearly addresses the housing crisis head-on. What is the exact definition of affordable housing given the average wages in Rother.

Comment

Representation ID: 24738

Received: 31/05/2024

Respondent: Sedlescombe Parish Council

There’s no mention of co-design or co-development in the objectives, but this may be addressed in the specific plans and strategies that will help to achieve the objectives.

Comment

Representation ID: 24739

Received: 31/05/2024

Respondent: Sedlescombe Parish Council

in objective 4, no mention is made of the housing needs of younger people.

Comment

Representation ID: 24740

Received: 31/05/2024

Respondent: Sedlescombe Parish Council

Under objective 8, there needs to be greater coordination between the transport providers and there should be specific mention of rail. It important that when residents want to travel to Brighton, London, Eastbourne, or further afield they know that the the bus will be on time and that it will connect with train services otherwise it’s always easier to go by car.

Comment

Representation ID: 24741

Received: 31/05/2024

Respondent: Sedlescombe Parish Council

The wording of objective 4 as it implies that protection of the National Landscape is subservient to sustainable development. Preserving the National Landscape should be sacrosanct and policies ensures that development occurs which is sensitive to those conservation needs.

Comment

Representation ID: 24825

Received: 06/06/2024

Respondent: Mr Simon Moody

What does the borough intend to do for local communities to encourage local employment. It's missing from the planning.

Comment

Representation ID: 25257

Received: 12/07/2024

Respondent: Richard Bailey

Agent: DHA Planning

Please see attached representation, existing and proposed sites plans.

Comment

Representation ID: 25410

Received: 16/07/2024

Respondent: Denbigh Properties Ltd

Agent: DHA Planning

Please see attached:

- Draft Local Plan Representations
- Site Location Plan
- Existing Site Layout Plan
- Call for Sites Illustrative Layout Plan

Comment

Representation ID: 25513

Received: 17/07/2024

Respondent: Wild About Burwash

Please see attached comments.

Comment

Representation ID: 25980

Received: 23/07/2024

Respondent: Trustees of Steellands Farm

Agent: Mr Geoff Megarity

Our client supports the spatial objectives for rural housing and net zero carbon ambitions. The proposed sites, within walking distance of services and transport, align with these goals. Located within 1km of the village center, the sites support active travel in a moderately sustainable settlement. The development aims to meet objectives of net zero carbon, nature recovery, and protecting the High Weald National Landscape. It promotes high-quality design, rural prosperity, sustainable growth, enhanced connections, and sustainable transport. The project also focuses on creating safe, healthy, vibrant communities and strategic planning opportunities.

Comment

Representation ID: 26026

Received: 19/07/2024

Respondent: Pett Parish Council

Figure 6, Objective
The recent widespread closure of public toilets across the district seems to be in conflict with the aim to provide supportive policies for tourism and recreation uses within urban and rural areas.

Figure 6, Objective 4.
Maximise the potential opportunities for residential development in sustainable and deliverable locations. Some of the criteria (see point 4.30) seem rather unrealistic.

Comment

Representation ID: 26080

Received: 23/07/2024

Respondent: Catesby Estates

We are supportive of Spatial Objectives 4 and 7 which seek to maximise opportunities for growth in sustainable locations, or places that can be made sustainable through supporting infrastructure and community facilities. As a largely rural district it is vital that the Council continue to explore opportunities for development in its rural communities to ensure these settlements can continue to thrive and prosper.

Comment

Representation ID: 26227

Received: 17/07/2024

Respondent: Burwash Parish Council

The objectives are good – however, can Rother realistically control / enforce the outcomes?

Comment

Representation ID: 26514

Received: 22/07/2024

Respondent: Tunbridge Wells Borough Council

TWBC strongly agrees with the
Objectives for the Local Plan which all
include the underlying thread of
sustainability in line with the
requirements of the NPPF.

Comment

Representation ID: 26552

Received: 20/07/2024

Respondent: Burwash Common and Weald Residents Association

4.3 Local Plan objectives and policies. We think it is important that the objectives in the Local Plan are practically achievable, and they should be tested in this context. Similarly, policies should be clear in their intent, unambiguous in their wording and capable of practical implementation. At the moment, some proposed policies are potentially weakened by reference to ‘exceptions’ or ‘exceptional circumstances’ in which they can be set aside or modified. While the Local Plan should not be a straitjacket, our experience is that developers (in particular) see these as loopholes and will seek to exploit them where they can. Policy wording should be reviewed to limit exceptions to those which really are necessary.

Comment

Representation ID: 26570

Received: 29/07/2024

Respondent: Stephen Nicholls

I am not impressed as the priorities are wrong and the low-cost saleable housing is wrong as far as I
am concerned.

Comment

Representation ID: 26691

Received: 23/07/2024

Respondent: Devine Homes PLC

Agent: Nexus Planning

See attached submission (specifically page 3) for comments on the strategic spatial objectives.

Comment

Representation ID: 26763

Received: 23/07/2024

Respondent: Rurban Estates Limited

Agent: DHA Planning

Please see "RDC Reg 18 Reps - Rurban Estates Ltd - Land east of Summerleas" attachment, specifically section 2.3.

Comment

Representation ID: 26790

Received: 23/07/2024

Respondent: Catesby Strategic Land Ltd and Rurban Estates Limited

Agent: DHA Planning

Please see attachment "RDC Reg 18 Representations - High House Farm", specifically section 2.3.

Comment

Representation ID: 26887

Received: 22/07/2024

Respondent: Brede Parish Council

Good, but needs tightening up with specifics, currently there are little or no
definite actions, more a generalisation of achievement targets.

Comment

Representation ID: 26974

Received: 22/07/2024

Respondent: Northiam Parish Council

The objectives set out for the Local Plan are supported by Council but may need to alter given the proposed changes to the NPPF.

Comment

Representation ID: 27010

Received: 23/07/2024

Respondent: Rurban Estates Limited

Agent: DHA Planning

See "RDC Reg 18 Reps - Rurban Estates Ltd - Watermill Lane" attachment, specifically section 2.3.

Comment

Representation ID: 27221

Received: 23/07/2024

Respondent: Guestling Parish Council

All irrelevant unless basic infrastructure is made core objective first - just degrading and depleting core objectives by'building before these core improvements are carried out/finished in full. A21 link, sewerage system, Drs and school facilities local transport systems, state of roads Council should be pushing back to ESCC and central government that objectives cannot be met without core infrastructure investment and any plans to do so before this directly go against the "Green to the Core" and "live Well Locally" policies in an 83% AONB area, further 7% nationally protected area, so 90%!

Comment

Representation ID: 27276

Received: 23/07/2024

Respondent: Trustees of Steellands Farm

Agent: Mr Geoff Megarity

Our client supports the general principles set out in the spatial objectives, particularly those which address the delivery of housing in rural locations. The ambition of delivering net zero carbon ambitions is also supported by the client.

The location of the two proposed sites within walking distance of a wide range of services and transport options are elements of the development which the proposed sites will be able to comply with.

As mentioned, the sites are in a settlement which has been identified as a moderately sustainable location and the fact the sites are located within 1km of the village centre offering a wide range of services within a suitable distance for active travel options.

The development of the sites will do everything possible to comply with the ambitions in terms of delivering net zero carbon, improving nature recovery, protecting the High Weald National Landscape, promoting high quality design, creating prosperity in rural areas, delivering growth in sustainable locations, enhancing sustainable connections and sustainable transport methods, supporting safe, healthy, vibrant and mixed communities, and deliver strategic planning opportunities.

Comment

Representation ID: 27377

Received: 22/07/2024

Respondent: Catsfield Parish Council

Answer: The 10 Objectives are laudable. The challenge as always is how to implement plans to achieve these objectives. Achieving such aims in larger communities or Towns, particularly for Hasting and Bexhill is probably directly relevant and these objectives could easily apply where scales and connectivity between larger groups of people exist, but for smaller rural communities and villages
much of this is just corporate gobbledygook, even if well intentioned. If applied fairly and with context to smaller communities these objectives would be fine but given the draft HEELA sites in the plan for Catsfield, it is clear these objectives have not been considered in context and will be made to fit, even where it is clear they do not. Example
Objective 2 - The words do not fit the reality for our community. The HEELA has allocated large green plots in the centre of a village, WHNL, doubling the housing numbers and expect a net gain? This is directly the opposite of the stated objective.
Objective 5 - There is inconsistency in the notes to the sites that have been rejected and those agreed or under consideration for Catsfield. Some areas appear to have been agreed or are being considered even though they don’t fit with these objectives.
Objective 8 - There is no effective local transport that serves Villages. If you count the number of passenger journeys by any transport means and the number by public transport this will give an indication of the practical use of public transport. This is not to say increasing public transport is a bad idea, but it does not work for villages at a scale that can used as a supporting factor or strategy to support housing development in villages.

Comment

Representation ID: 27497

Received: 23/07/2024

Respondent: Rurban Estates Limited

Agent: DHA Planning

See section 2.3 of the attached response.

Comment

Representation ID: 27527

Received: 23/07/2024

Respondent: Westcott Leach Ltd

Agent: DHA Planning

See section 2.3 of the attached representation.

Comment

Representation ID: 27548

Received: 23/07/2024

Respondent: Southern Housing

We support the spatial objectives in principle. Where the objectives relate to transport-related matters, the Plan should specifically reference working with East Sussex County Council. We note this has been included for Spatial Objective 9 (safe, healthy, vibrant and mixed communities) and there are also references to working with Hastings Borough Council.

Comment

Representation ID: 27698

Received: 23/07/2024

Respondent: Bellway Homes

Agent: DHA Planning

See section 3.4 of the attached "DHA Response to RDC Reg 18 Draft Local Plan".