Plans for hundreds of new homes in East Grinstead approved by planners
The development located near Imberhorne Upper School includes 550 houses and a 150-home care village
Plans for hundreds of new homes in East Grinstead have been approved by Mid Sussex District Council.
The hybrid application for land south and west of Imberhorne Upper School, in Imberhorne Lane – which has been ten years in the making – was given the nod by the planning committee.
The first part of the application, from Welbeck Strategic Land, was for outline permission for up to 550 homes, a 150-home care village, land for a primary school, a neighbourhood centre and allotments.
The second part was for full permission for playing fields, a sports pavilion and running track along with green space, parking and a pedestrian/cycle link from Imberhorne Lane.
The council received 475 objections to the plans, with concerns raised including the loss of countryside and high quality agricultural land, traffic and road safety, and a lack of infrastructure to support the increase in population.
But, having weighed up the pros and cons of the development, a report from officers said: “It is not considered that the adverse impacts of the development would significantly or demonstrably outweigh the benefits of the proposal.”
Questions were asked by several committee members about the impact the development would have on local roads, especially as the officers’ report said it was not considered to be severe.
This left Mike Kennedy (Lib Dem, Burgess Hill Dunstall) wondering what a severe impact would actually look like.
Officers said there were no black and white answers to that and each issue was taken case by case, with safety seen as the priority.
Rex Whittaker shared the concerns about traffic but praised the ‘well thought-through, comprehensive application’, which comes with a ‘whole range of significant infrastructure upgrades’ including almost £14m of financial contributions.
He added: “The new and badly needed sports facilities are first-class and a great benefit to the school and public alike.”
The application was approved unanimously.
The housing development will be made up of one-to-five-bedroom houses and flats. Some 165 of them will be classed as affordable.
Access to the site will be via Imberhorne Lane.
As for the care village, it will be the responsibility of Rangeford Villages, late living operator and provider. It will be made up of one-, two- and three-bedroom flats, as well as two-bedroom bungalows.
Howard Nankivell, Rangeford’s CEO, said: “The development will I am sure, be a welcome addition to the local community, as well as boosting the local economy with significant job creation both during the construction phase and once the village is fully operational.”