A new cafe and public loos will be built on a disused platform on the Cuckoo Trail.
Wealden District Council yesterday approved its plans for the former Horam Railway Station, part of several upgrades planned for the eleven-mile stretch of the trail between Polegate and Heathfield.
The council’s Planning Committee South added several conditions in response to concerns raised by Horam Parish Council around the potential for vandalism at the relatively remote location.
The parish council had asked for the building to be designed with steel shutters in mind, so it could be secured when not in use. Committee members shared this view, so opted to make integration of shutters a condition of planning permission.
The committee also opted to limit the cafe kiosk’s hours of operation to daylight hours, in recognition of a nearby retirement accommodation known as Cherry Tree Court.
With these conditions in place, the committee granted planning permission for the development to move ahead.
The committee opted not to address another concern raised by the parish council around the number of toilets on the site. The parish council had requested that only one toilet be built on site, which they argued should only be accessible from inside the building.
Committee members disagreed with this view, saying a larger number of publicly-accessible toilets would be more desirable.
The council has secured government funding for the improvements.
For more information see application reference WD/2024/2468/DC on the Wealden District Council website.
