HAMSEY COMMUNITY
Lewes District Council is reviewing its plans for the District outside the National Park. This will cover everything: housing, jobs, transport, town centres, the countryside, where to build and where not to build.
The government has set very high housing targets for the area. They want to catch up on housing shortages and have highlighted areas of high demand where house prices are high, including our area. If Lewes District Council doesn’t do their best to meet the government targets, developers will be able to appeal against refusals and there’s a good chance they’ll be given the go-ahead even if local people object.
The Parish Council understands the Council’s difficulties, but believes the government’s targets are unreasonable and will have a massive impact on the area, without doing much to help local people struggling with high housing prices and costs. We believe the government should be rigorously challenged to reduce the targets to a more reasonable level.
The first stage in the Council’s review involves finding out where development could take place by asking landowners about their plans. This stage is now complete and the attached map shows the planning department’s results, as follows:
16HY 12 lakeside houses at the Old Hamsey Brickworks (Hamsey Lakes) - this has already been agreed in principle anyway.
11HY either side of the A275 between Hamsey Lane and The Rainbow – 150 dwellings. The main issue for LDC is the impact on Old Cooksbridge Conservation Area.
15HY Springles Farm
12HY Land at McBeans
17HY Old Hamsey Lakes extension
06HY The Platt, Beechwood Lane
18HY Field South of Beechwood Hall
19HY An additional site, for 1100 dwellings has also been put forward on the Conyboro Estate land. This would be a massive development running all along both sides of Hamsey Lane with all the land between Hamsey Lane and the railway line and also the other side of Hamsey Lane up to Hamsey Lodge, North End Lane. It would then run all the way along to the Hamsey level crossing.
This would clearly have a major impact on the parish. The Parish Council has set out strong objections to this site coming forward – this can be found here Hamsey PC’s response to ‘call for sites’ submission 19HY (land North East of Railway line, either side of Hamsey Lane)
Lewes District Council has not yet evaluated these proposals. They are looking at them alongside the Eton College New Town proposals in East Chiltington (3,000 houses) and a large site at Ringmer (900 houses) to see if any or all of these proposals should be taken forward.
Hamsey Parish Council, having set out objections to the Conyboro proposals, is awaiting the outcome of LDC’s assessments before commenting further. However, be assured that we will be doing everything we can to fully represent the voice of our parish at every step of the process.
Lewes District Council Interim Land Availability Assessment February 2022
LDC Sites Assessed Hamsey sites are detailed on pages 50-62
This is the very earliest stage in a long process before it’s finally decided what goes where. Lewes District Council is required by law to consult at each stage of the process and take those comments into account. There will also almost certainly be a public hearing before final decisions are made.
Whilst it is LDC’s responsibility to consult people, Hamsey Parish Council will let parishioners know what’s happening as best we can – mainly through this website and Hamsey News. Let us have your views at any stage in the process, using the contact form below, or this e-mail address: plansforhamsey@gmail.com.
Cllr Tamsyn d’Arienzo,
Chair, Hamsey Parish Council
