Don’t Urbanise the Downs applauds Lewes planners’ “sane decision” to recommend refusal of Nolands Farm development

The Don’t Urbanise the Downs campaign, which is fighting plans by Eton College to build a huge 3,000-house new town in idyllic countryside on the edge of the South Downs National Park, is applauding council officers who are recommending refusal for an 86-house development on adjacent land on the outskirts of Plumpton Green village.

Plans for the site, known as Nolands Farm, were already rejected by Lewes District Council in February 2019 and the site was not included in the current Local Plan. However, now developers are making another attempt to build on a greenfield site – with a scheme involving nearly twice as many houses – by taking advantage of the hiatus while Lewes develops its new Local Plan.

Lewes District Council planning officers are recommending that the planning committee refuse the scheme as it would have “a detrimental impact on the character and appearance” on the village and the “wider countryside.” Council officers added that the proposed development would have an “unacceptable impact on areas or assets of significant importance” and cause “significant harm which would outweigh any benefit in addressing local housing need.”

Don’t Urbanise the Downs campaign founder Marc Munier said: “It’s early days but we can really take heart from this very sane decision by Lewes planning officers. They are recommending refusal for the Nolands Farm scheme based on many of the very same reasons we are fighting the Eton scheme. If they consider 86 houses at Nolands Farm unacceptable – because it would destroy beautiful countryside and a precious village community – then we have high hopes that the much larger Eton proposal will get absolutely nowhere. We hope that councillors will heed the advice of their planning experts and refuse the Nolands Farm application when they meet in December.”

Local ward councillor Rob Banks added: “The Nolands Farm proposal would mean unacceptable impact and pressure on the open countryside and the intrinsic rural character of Plumpton Green and the nearby area. The council's recommendation to refuse the application shows once again how unsuitable Eton’s new town would be."

Among those concerned about the Nolands Farm scheme is the South Downs National Park Authority which says that, although the scheme lies just outside the park border, it would still negatively impact the larger landscape. The Authority pointed out that, under national policy, local landscape and scenic beauty that lies near national parks must be considered as well land within the parks themselves.

The countryside charity CPRE is also fighting the scheme. They pointed that it is in the national interest – and the fight against climate change – to prioritise greenfield over brownfield development. They said: “Construction on brownfield sites is stalled by developer preference for the windfall profits arising from countryside planning permissions.”

Plumpton Parish Council – along with more than 600 local residents – are also fighting the scheme. The council said the development proposal underplays the fact that the Parish is essentially rural and lies within 1km of the South Downs National Park border. The Council also says the proposal would severely erode the Park’s renowned dark skies status.