The next stage of a controversial housing development is due to go in front of Wealden planners.
On Thursday (March 20), Wealden District Council’s Planning Committee South is due to consider a reserved matters application connected to the 700-home Mornings Mill development in Lower Willingdon.
The proposal, from developer Tarn, is the second reserved matters application connected with the site, with the same developer having secured permission for “phase zero” of the scheme in September last year.
The previous reserved matters scheme related to the construction of a spine road and other infrastructure, including surface water drainage measures. The current application is for the 700 homes and five commercial units.
Further reserved matters applications are expected to come forward at a later date for the construction of an employment site, as well as a community hall, pavilion and sports facilities. A school and medical centre are expected to be delivered by third party providers under separate applications.
The current scheme is being recommended for approval by council planning officers.
In a report to the committee, a council planning spokesman said: “It is considered that the layout, built form and landscaping as proposed will provide a development that is responsive to the constraints of the site, the local context and vernacular.
“The applicant has worked to address a range of concerns raised by statutory consultees in relation to noise, accessibility, parking, Public Rights of Way, and officers’ concerns relating to all aspects of layout, building design, impact on trees and proposed landscaping. The applicant has made significant changes to the layout and buildings to transform a scheme from being one that would have been refused to a scheme that is now supportable by officers.
“It is recommended that reserved matters approval is granted subject to additional conditions.”
These additional conditions include a requirement for glazing on windows, which directly overlook the rear gardens of adjoining properties. The scheme would also be subject to conditions attached to the outline planning permission.
The overall scheme has been controversial for some time, with its outline application (considered by Wealden District Council in 2021) generating more than 800 letters of objection from local residents.
Wealden councillors initially refused the scheme on three grounds: its location outside of the 1998 development boundary; the safety of its highways access; and the potential for development to increase flood risk. Officers at the time had warned that these reasons for refusal were unlikely to succeed at appeal.
This proved to be the case when the council’s refusal was overturned at appeal in September 2022. The council was also told to pay significant costs to the developer, with a planning inspector at the time describing the council’s refusal of the scheme as “the epitome of unreasonable behaviour”.
For further information see application reference WD/2024/2478/MRM on the Wealden District Council website.
