Redevelopment of shopping parade in Heathfield High Street refused for the second time

On Thursday (October 27), Wealden District Council’s Planning Committee South considered an outline application seeking to replace a row of shops at 14 to 30 High Street with a new building containing 12 shops and up to 10 maisonettes.

While an outline scheme, the committee felt the development’s scale would necessarily be too large in scale for the site. Councillors also raised concerns about the site’s potential design and whether its eventual drainage situation would work.

Although not a direct reason for the refusal, the committee also expressed concerns about the level of detail provided by the applicant.

Committee chairman Susan Stedman (Con) said: “I take all the points that this is an outline, but I think for the enormity of a scheme like this we had an expectation that we would be given more and better information to consider such a change in such an important area in Heathfield High Street.”

During its deliberations the committee also criticised the lack of objection from East Sussex Highways, with several members raising concerns about the development’s potential impact on the access of a nearby care home.

This did not form part of the refusal either, after officers advised it would weaken the council’s position at appeal.

The application had followed on from a similar scheme which was refused on similar grounds in January. Officers, who had recommended approval, said the revised scheme had mostly overcome those previous reasons for refusal.

This is with the exception of concerns around surface water flooding, which officers say could have been resolved through conditions.