The Planning Inspectorate has dismissed a developer’s appeal regarding the controversial Shellfield housing estate on the outskirts of Playden and Rye. A four-page decision, handed down on June 17, has delighted the many local people who have been campaigning against the 24-home housing estate for two years. Rother District Council’s (RDC) Planning Committee originally rejected the planning application a year ago.
The Planning Inspectorate accepted that the proposed development would prove too dense and cramped, that the development would be overly visible, that a valuable “transition space” between Playden and Rye would be lost, and that “the development would have a harmful effect on the character and appearance of the area”.
One of the factors ignored in the developer’s consultant’s appeal statement — the existence of Rye Hill and the “long and steady climb” from the town centre to the site — was identified by the Planning Inspectorate as a contributing factor in its decision.
“The return to the site would be much slower and harder. As such, these transport options [walking and cycling] would not be particularly attractive to future occupants,” the Planning Inspectorate decision concluded.
“Occupants of up to 24 houses would be rather distant from many day-to-day services and facilities and would be more reliant on the private car to access them.”
The appeal decision concluded that the Shellfield development “would not provide acceptable access to services and facilities”.
Overall, 223 letters of objection were sent to RDC by local people opposing the housing estate and more than 50 local residents recently lodged their objections to the appeal with the Planning Inspectorate.
Image Credits: David Worwood .
Whilst I applaud the planner’s decision to reject the appeal for this over-development proposal I cannot help but see the irony of its consideration of the “long and steady climb” up Rye Hill on the journey from the Town Centre ! Was it not the very same planners who saw fit to allow the re-location of the main Dr’s surgery to a point even more of a long and steady climb from the hub of the community !
So here we go again. New application. Fewer but larger houses.