Core Strategy Issues & Options

Comment

Representation ID: 18771

Received: 09/02/2007

Respondent: East Sussex County Council

In terms of education provision and increasing brownfield densities, flats tends to produce lass school-age children (perhaps 15% of the normal yield). This could have an adverse effect on school numbers and education provision, unless a reasonable proportion of family housing is also provided

Comment

Representation ID: 18772

Received: 09/02/2007

Respondent: East Sussex County Council

Support is given to options which seek to improve connectivity and accessibility to jobs and services in the Bexhill/Hastings area, however there is concern about the concept of 800 dwellings at Wilting Farm given the potential for adverse impacts on the landscape and Countryside Park.

Comment

Representation ID: 18773

Received: 09/02/2007

Respondent: East Sussex County Council

If the bid for the replacement of Bexhill High School is successful, the intention is for its relocation to the Gunters Lane site but to use part of The Downs site for a new Vocational Skills Centre.

It would be more sustainable (for service provision) to plan housing growth to make use of existing spare capacity in primary schools but it is recognised that additional capacity, through expansion or new build, may be needed in some areas of planned housing. In the case of new provision, the assistance of the District Council in securing new sites is welcomed.

Comment

Representation ID: 18774

Received: 09/02/2007

Respondent: East Sussex County Council

Whilst further new housing may well generate more children of primary school age, the need for a second primary school will still have to be justified on the final mix of dwellings and the numbers at Battle & Langton CE Primary School prevailing at the time. If there is no justification for a new school it will be necessary to provide additional permanent places at Battle and Langton CE Primary School, funded from new housing development.

Comment

Representation ID: 18775

Received: 09/02/2007

Respondent: East Sussex County Council

The County Council's forward planning of school places has assumed that Rye will ), not be a focus for high levels of future growth.

Comment

Representation ID: 18776

Received: 09/02/2007

Respondent: East Sussex County Council

it would appear that in practice there would be little to differentiate Option 2 from Option 4 in terms of outcomes i.e. accessibility issues and increased car dependency.

Options 1 and 3 appear to be a variation on a theme and reflect the methodology adopted by the County Council in determining the housing distribution for the "Rest Of East Sussex" undertaken as part of the South East Plan process.

Irrespective of the approach taken it is important to recognise that where schools are already full, the ability for them to expand should be taken into account, as some village schools are on small sites where additional building will be difficult if not impossible.

Comment

Representation ID: 18789

Received: 12/02/2007

Respondent: East Sussex County Council

Specific reference to the character of Rother’s historic environment would be helpful.
Summary of suggested text: The historic environment and cultural heritage is a key aspect of sustainability. It is non-renewable: once destroyed it cannot be replaced. It is a valuable resource with the potential to increase knowledge and is an excellent vehicle for wider educational objectives. It contributes to people's sense of place and economic/community development, regeneration, access, leisure and tourism. The present rich diversity and character, special to this area and with considerable 'time depth’ should be more fully understood and used to inform decisions about the future.”