Allocations DPD Discussion and Consultation Document

I act for Mr Hines and Mr Stammers, the owners of Three Acres and Birch Lodge respectively at Anchor Lane, Canewdon, and am presenting herewith their views on the South Canewdon allocation options in the Allocations DPD Discussion and Consultation Document.

Firstly, my clients are pleased that South Canewdon has been chosen as the location for 60 new dwellings under the LDF, as they feel this is an appropriate and sustainable location which add to the viability and cohesion of the Canewdon community. However they also have views on the relative merits of the different options proposed in the document and the arguments put, as follows:

SC1 The document claims that development of this site 'would not erode the openness of the Green Belt and would afford the opportunity for creation of a defensible Green Belt boundary'. We do not see how development of this site without SC3 also being developed could do either of these things, as it lies on the south side of Anchor Lane detached from any adjacent development. As such it intrudes into the Green Belt, and Anchor Lane itself would form a more defensible boundary to the Green Belt than the rear of what would effectively be ribbon development.

The document also states that SC1 has the capacity to provide 'local highway capacity and infrastructure improvements, public transport infrastructure and service enhancements, links to and enhancements of pedestrian, cycle and bridleway networks and sustainable urban drainage' as required by the Core Strategy Submission Document. All of these things could be just as easily, if not more easily, provided by option SC3.

SC2 The document claims that development of this site 'would not erode away the openness of the Green Belt, would add to community cohesion and would not create two distinct communities' though it does concede that it would be difficult to create a defensible Green Belt boundary. Development of this site without SC3 would, however, in our opinion create an isolated development that would do nothing for community cohesion, and certainly would intrude into the Green Belt.

SC3 The document agrees that this site 'is ideally located adjacent to residential settlement, thus enabling community cohesion and maintaining the openness of the Green Belt.' This in our view makes SC3 the best option for the development of South Canewdon, as it offers the possibility of direct links to the existing residential area and local facilities, and Anchor Lane as a firm and defensible Green Belt boundary. The document also mentions that 'the impact on the road leading to St Nicholas Church must be considered', and in this sense new development could present an opportunity to enhance the approach to the church. The 'difficulty of creating a defensible Green Belt boundary' mentioned in the document presumably refers to the rear of development on the west side of the church approach road, and this could be overcome by omitting development of the west side and increasing the density of development on the east side.

SC4 The document concedes that this option 'would be piecemeal and it would be difficult to create a defensible Green Belt boundary'. Also it would create distinct new communities and community benefits would be hard to obtain. We agree with this assessment, and in addition only part of my clients' site would be used, which would be a wasted opportunity.

In conclusion, we consider SC3 to be the best option for the development of South Canewdon, if necessary omitting the land to the west of the church approach road.