Rother Local Plan 2025-2042 – Development Strategy and Site Allocations

Consultation – Draft Rother Local Plan 2025-2042 Consultation

Salehurst & Robertsbridge Parish Council (S&RPC) submits the comments below regarding the
consultation on Rother Draft Local Plan.

The Parish Council supports the vision of Rother Draft Local Plan (RDLP) to develop within the
unique environmental constraints of Rother district. We are however very concerned at the
numbers of houses proposed not just in Robertsbridge but in villages across the district, which
do not have the necessary infrastructure to support the proposed housing expansion.

With respect to sites in Salehurst Parish, we are broadly speaking in agreement with the
proposed sites. All these sites are included within our Salehurst & Robertsbridge
Neighbourhood Development Plan (SRNDP), with the exception of the Open Field
site. However, the size of the sites has increased and we believe the 344 homes proposed
cannot be supported by our village infrastructure; this is a very substantial increase of 164 on
the 180 homes included in SRNDP.

We wish to make the following specific comments:

RBI Heathfield Gardens site - 35-40 homes in SRNDP, 65 are proposed in RDLP. The Parish
Council has no objection, subject to the usual planning rules.

RB2 Grove Farm site phase 1 - 30 homes in SRNDP. 32 have been approved and 32 are in RDLP.

RB3 Grove Farm site phase 2 - this area of the site was not included in SRNDP. 70 homes
included in RDLP. This is the site which most concerns the Parish Council. 70 homes on this
raised green field location will have an overwhelming impact on the village; this size of
development, added to the already approved area, will be out of proportion, and there are
concerns regarding the potential effect on infrastructure. For example, there is no current
capacity for drainage and potentially high impact on traffic flow in the village. George Hill is a
busy entrance / exit to the village, particularly at the start and end of the school day.

RB4 Vicarage site - 6-10 homes in SRNDP, 10 in RDLP. We already submitted our concerns about
the nature of the development proposed for this site.

RB5 Culverwells site (off Station Road) - 17 homes approved prior to SRNDP, 21 homes in RDLP
for which approval has been given.

RB6a Hodson’s Mill site - 85-100 in SRNDP, 96 in RDLP. We strongly support development on this
brown field site. This has widespread support amongst village residents, although developers
must minimise impact on traffic flow within the village.

RB6b Open Field site - Site not included in SRNP. 50 homes included in RDLP, which is at odds
with the 25 homes proposed by Homes England who own the site. The Parish Council does not
object to this site but is very concerned that the proposal for 50 dwellings is too many, given
potential impact on the High Weald National Landscape; development on this raised location
needs to be low rise.

Bishops Lane site - The Parish Council does not support development on this site which was not
included in SRDNP. We are pleased to see that it has not been included in the draft local plan.

In addition, there is a proposal in RDLP policy GYP5 to extend the existing Gypsy and Traveller
Site on Redlands Lane from 6 to 10 units. This in part regularises the fact that there are already
8 units on site, 10 units is the maximum we would support. It would be practical to offer the
additional units to members of the family who already live on site, and to provide access to the
site through the existing site entrance. We do not support a new second access point onto the
narrow country lane, as the wording in the RDLP seems to suggest.

Consultation – Draft Rother Local Plan 2025-2042 Consultation

Salehurst & Robertsbridge Parish Council (S&RPC) submits the comments below regarding the
consultation on Rother Draft Local Plan.

The Parish Council supports the vision of Rother Draft Local Plan (RDLP) to develop within the
unique environmental constraints of Rother district. We are however very concerned at the
numbers of houses proposed not just in Robertsbridge but in villages across the district, which
do not have the necessary infrastructure to support the proposed housing expansion.

With respect to sites in Salehurst Parish, we are broadly speaking in agreement with the
proposed sites. All these sites are included within our Salehurst & Robertsbridge
Neighbourhood Development Plan (SRNDP), with the exception of the Open Field
site. However, the size of the sites has increased and we believe the 344 homes proposed
cannot be supported by our village infrastructure; this is a very substantial increase of 164 on
the 180 homes included in SRNDP.

We wish to make the following specific comments:

RBI Heathfield Gardens site - 35-40 homes in SRNDP, 65 are proposed in RDLP. The Parish
Council has no objection, subject to the usual planning rules.

RB2 Grove Farm site phase 1 - 30 homes in SRNDP. 32 have been approved and 32 are in RDLP.

RB3 Grove Farm site phase 2 - this area of the site was not included in SRNDP. 70 homes
included in RDLP. This is the site which most concerns the Parish Council. 70 homes on this
raised green field location will have an overwhelming impact on the village; this size of
development, added to the already approved area, will be out of proportion, and there are
concerns regarding the potential effect on infrastructure. For example, there is no current
capacity for drainage and potentially high impact on traffic flow in the village. George Hill is a
busy entrance / exit to the village, particularly at the start and end of the school day.

RB4 Vicarage site - 6-10 homes in SRNDP, 10 in RDLP. We already submitted our concerns about
the nature of the development proposed for this site.

RB5 Culverwells site (off Station Road) - 17 homes approved prior to SRNDP, 21 homes in RDLP
for which approval has been given.

RB6a Hodson’s Mill site - 85-100 in SRNDP, 96 in RDLP. We strongly support development on this
brown field site. This has widespread support amongst village residents, although developers
must minimise impact on traffic flow within the village.

RB6b Open Field site - Site not included in SRNP. 50 homes included in RDLP, which is at odds
with the 25 homes proposed by Homes England who own the site. The Parish Council does not
object to this site but is very concerned that the proposal for 50 dwellings is too many, given
potential impact on the High Weald National Landscape; development on this raised location
needs to be low rise.

Bishops Lane site - The Parish Council does not support development on this site which was not
included in SRDNP. We are pleased to see that it has not been included in the draft local plan.

In addition, there is a proposal in RDLP policy GYP5 to extend the existing Gypsy and Traveller
Site on Redlands Lane from 6 to 10 units. This in part regularises the fact that there are already
8 units on site, 10 units is the maximum we would support. It would be practical to offer the
additional units to members of the family who already live on site, and to provide access to the
site through the existing site entrance. We do not support a new second access point onto the
narrow country lane, as the wording in the RDLP seems to suggest.