A developer has put forward plans for a self-build housing scheme in Laughton.
In an application validated by Wealden District Council last week, a developer is seeking outline planning permission for a seven-unit housing scheme on land to the east of Shortgate Lane and immediately to the north of The Roebuck Inn.
The site has been subject to several previous planning applications, with two seeking permission to build affordable homes. These schemes — for 12 and eight affordable rental homes respectively — were both dismissed at appeal in January 2013 after an inspector judged them to bein conflict with the council’s development plan at that time.
For this scheme, the developer says they intend to provide ‘serviced plots’, which would enable self-build projects on the site. They argue this would address a significant need within the district, noting how there are at least 246 people waiting for such plots on the council’s self-build register.
In a statement submitted as part of the application, a spokesman for the developer said: “The application will positively contribute to meeting the identified and unmet need for self-build and custom housebuilding in the district.
“The indicative layout and design demonstrates that the development can be delivered whilst respecting the character and setting of the site and wider area. This reflects the conclusions of the Local Planning Authority and Appeal Inspector in the consideration of previous applications for housing on the site.”
They added: “The development would have no undue on local landscape character, arboricultural or ecological interest, and there would be no undue impact on local residential amenity. The scheme has been designed to deliver a surface water drainage strategy that would avoid on-site and off-site flood risk effects.
