Local Plan Supporting Evidence Base Documents

Comment

Representation ID: 26817

Received: 31/07/2024

Respondent: Northern Parishes Group

HELAA assessment
43) Like allocation generally, the group appreciates that the structure of HELAA has been laid down by others and the framework cannot at this stage be disturbed. However, the impact of it will feed through to bad planning grants in the decades to follow. One problem that the group cannot deal with is that Rother District Council does not have the resources to carefully analyse every site put forward. It is noted that the neighbourhood plans that make housing allocation are mentioned, but the Burwash neighbourhood plan, which with an inspector's approval, made no housing allocation. This decision was not only approved by Rother District Council, but it was also approved by the planning court after a three-day hearing.
44) The group was very unhappy about the prominence that was given to potential sites. Many of those listed as a potential sites are in fact on examination wholly unsuitable. However, listing them as potential sites gives the developer the impression that if he or she waits long enough it will become a suitable place for development. This introduces planning blight which is wholly contrary to most of the principles that Rother District Council stands for.

45) Para 1.7 in the HELAA tries to minimise the impact on planning decisions of this document. Unfortunately, whatever the authors of this document say, developers will use this document to promote their individual sites because the site is a potential site. One way of dealing with this problem is to amalgamate this section and the rejected section.