The next stage of a major housing development in Wivelsfield is set to go in front of Lewes planners next week.
On Wednesday (October 9), Lewes District Council’s planning committee is expected to consider a reserved matters application connected with plans to build 96 homes on land to the east of Ditchling Road.
The scheme has outline planning permission, meaning the principle of developing the site has already been established with the committee being asked to approve details of its layout and design.
The outline application had initially been refused by Lewes planners in May 2022, mainly because of concerns about the scheme’s impact on the character of Wivelsfield Green. But this refusal was overturned at appeal last year, after an inspector judged the benefits of new housing to outweigh the downsides of the scheme.
In a report to the committee, officers say they consider the application — put forward by developer Cala Homes — to be acceptable and are recommending approval.
In the report, a council planning spokesman said: “Overall, it is considered the submitted details present a good quality development that would interact well with the surrounding built and rural environment, would provide good quality living conditions for future occupants, protect the amenities of existing residents and show an accessible, inviting layout that provides good connectivity with the village and the surrounding countryside.”
While recommended for approval, the application has seen concerns raised by both Wivelsfield Parish Council and Ditchling Parish Council. The parish councils’ concerns include traffic, infrastructure pressures, the scheme’s design and long term maintenance.
If approved the scheme would comprise: 15 one-bed apartments; three two-bed apartments, 18 two-bed houses; 24 three-bed houses; and 36 four-bed houses. Of these, all of the apartments would be classed as affordable housing, as would seven of the two-bed houses, 12 of the three-bed houses and one of the four-bed houses.
For further information about the scheme see application reference LW/24/0178 on the Lewes District Council website.
