Village Concerns
an Action Group seeking to protect the Parish
of East Hoathly with Halland from overdevelopment
New Town Proposals
The Parish faces two New Town proposals, Hesmond’s Village and Oakleigh Garden Community. Hesmond’s Village was included in the draft Wealden Local Plan in 2024 as a potential site but it was decided that it was unsuitable for housing development (see SHEELA below). Oakleigh Garden Community is being considered by Wealden District Council for the next draft of their Local Plan expected early in 2025. It is also possible that they may reassess Hesmond’s Village as being suitable.
Parish Council Response to Questions - 24 June 2024
This was very much a fact-finding exercise, it was a very early opportunity to explore the scale and complexity of the proposed development and the likely impact of the development on the wider community. We explored the impact on local infrastructure such as the A22 and local sewers, loss of agricultural land, the scope and scale of the development, build time, access, the consideration taken towards the EHwH emerging Neighbourhood Plan and the potential timescale, together with next steps.
We were assured that there will be plenty of opportunities for the local community to engage in the process, to ask questionsand to scrutinise the details of what is being proposed, with workshops, exhibitions and a website, and the indications are that this will be in the very near future. Once we have details of these, we will share them. It would also be the case, going forward, that there would be considerable public consultation and scrutiny if the site were to be put forward by Wealden at any state in the future (and this is as yet uncertain).
We met with
- Matthew Kendrick, Grass Roots Planning
- Dominic Clifton, Clifton Emery Design
- Jeremy Campling, SWSD
- George Back, RH & RW Clutton Property
Invitation to Object to Oakleigh Garden Community
An Action Group is being formed in Halland to oppose the Oakleigh Garden Community. In due course they will have their own website and email supporters list. Village Concerns are working with this group and ask you to consider responding to this communication from them.
Ancient Woodland
Many of our supporters have expressed concern about the threat to our Ancient Woodland by all the proposed development. These maps show the extent of Ancient Woodland in the whole Parish and how it affects the Hesmonds Stud proposal in more detail. The pale green shows woodland and the brown areas are designated Ancient Woodland. The Red boundary is the Hesmonds Stud land put forward for Development.
