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

Proposed Vision and development strategy for Northern Rother and site allocations for this area

We feel that land at Station Road, Robertsbridge TN32 5DG should be included in the plan. A map showing the land is attached

We would like to make the following comments:

1. We refer to Strategic Spatial Objective number 11 in the Draft Local Plan: “Deliver sustainable development by making the optimal use of land, including by prioritising the use of brownfield land”
This site is a Brownfield site and meets this criteria of prioritised land

2. The site is approximately .37 hectare and has potential for example for 12 dwellings similar to the existing 4 dwellings at the front of the site

3. There is an existing tarmac road into the site from Station Road and it has existing connected services

4. The site has never been subject to flooding

5. We refer to Part 2 of the Local Plan, Section 3.27 which says: “ In reviewing Rother’s pipeline of employment land supply (i.e., extant planning permissions and adopted site allocations), the HEDNA indicates that there is sufficient capacity in Rother to meet identified needs in full. However, there are variations between sectors, with a sufficient supply (oversupply) expected for office and industrial uses in the district but a shortfall for storage and distribution. Consideration may need to be given to a targeted restructuring of the employment land stock to meet these needs, subject to the findings of the updated HEDNA in 2026.”
Our proposed site has a light industrial unit on it. Given the current supply and expected oversupply of this type of unit, as stated in the Plan, it is likely that within the next 17 years this site will no longer be viable for this purpose and therefore should be included within the Plan as a prospective site for housing

Given the length of time the plan covers and the criteria above we think that this site should be included in the Plan for future potential residential development