A Wealden planning committee has taken the unusual decision to defer a number of planning applications, until full and satisfactory reports are received from Southern Water.
Members of the district’s Planning Committee South voted unanimously to defer applications for 205 new homes in East Hoathly, up to 28 dwellings in Horsebridge (pictured) and up to 24 new homes in Horam, when it met today (11 August).
The decision comes just weeks after a full council meeting in Wealden agreed on a cross-party motion to seek assurances from the statutory waste water consultee.
Committee chairman, Conservative councillor Susan Stedman said: “It is the duty of this planning committee to uphold the decisions made by Full Council and Southern Water have not addressed our concerns nor fully answered our questions in relation to these three, major applications.”
At the start of the meeting’s public session, Cllr Stedman proposed a motion that the three major items on the agenda involving responses from Southern Water be deferred until “full and proper answers to the council’s questions are received”. The motion was seconded by Conservative councillor Johanna Howell.
Deferring the three separate applications, councillors were advised that a meeting with Southern Water was scheduled albeit not until late September Meanwhile, council officers will seek further dialogue with the water authority.
Wealden District Council’s Conservative Chairman, Cllr Ann Newton, said she was appalled and dismayed by the lack of meaningful responses from Southern Water in respect of these three planning applications. “Southern Water has clearly not taken on board the feeling of the council, representing residents in Wealden. Our cross-party proposal made it quite clear and I call upon the water authority to act with alacrity. We will not simply gloss over vital issues such as sewage flooding.”
The three applications will be re-presented to the next meeting of Planning Committee South following receipt of the proper, detailed responses from Southern Water. It is hoped that the proposed developers will also use their influence to extract the necessary information from the water company.
The meeting can be viewed online: https://wealden.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/687018
