Planning is often controversial
What's the Parish Council's role?
Parish Councils play a limited part in the current planning process. Like others, Barcombe PC is a statutary consultee in most (but not all) cases, so receives relevant documents from Lewes District Council. After local consultation and formal discussion, the PC can vote on an application before recommending a course of action to LDC; the recommendation will be taken into consideration by the case Planning Officer, but the weight given to it will vary. If the application is passed to LDC’s Planning Committee for decision – a body made up from local councillors, not planners – the Case Officer’s recommendation may or may not be followed.
Development in Barcombe Cross
- Under Lewes District Council’s Local Plan Part 2, Barcombe parish has been allocated a minimum of 30 new dwellings, to be provided by 2030. The Parish Council played no part in the allocation process.
- Current local interest and concern centres on three sites in Barcombe Cross, identified by LDC as suitable for a significant number of new homes. The Parish Council was not involved, other than providing basic information at an early stage.
- The sites are shown on the map below. To download a zoomable version, click here.
Current focus: Hillside and Bridgelands sites
Applications and progress
Please note
To view a planning application below, click its number (for example, LW/20/0288). On the Lewes District Council web page that opens, agree to the Terms and Conditions. Then continue to the 'Search' page and paste in the application's number.
Hillside site
- The developer of Hillside site BA03 (see map above) lodged planning application LW/20/0633 on 18th September 2020.
- A planning application in 2020 for Hillside Nurseries (BA01) was withdrawn: see LW/20/0288
- Outline Planning permission has been granted for the construction of 26 homes on the site.
Rydon Homes lodged a Reserved Matters application covering layout and design (LW/22/0153). This was refused by the planning committee and is subject to an appeal. An enquiry is to be held in early July 2023.
A further reserved matters application with revised layout and design was posted (LW/23/0090). This will come before the LDC Planning Committee in July 2023.
Bridgelands site
- A current application is under review: see LW/20/0245
- An outline planning application was lodged in 2018: see LW/18/0627
- Outline planning permission has been granted for the construction of 6 homes on the site.
The developer submitted a reserved matters application (LW/21/0872) detailing layout and design. As of late June 2023, a decision on this is outstanding.