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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NEWSFLASH: Britain's oldest national conservation society have just lodged an official objection to the golf club's plans (see below). The Open Spaces Society consider a car park would 'suburbanise the area and be detrimental to the public amenity value of the land'. While this objection is very significant, the views of local people carry the most weight. Please lodge your objection by 25 May. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SAVE OUR COMMON New Plans for a Private Gated Car Park on our Common Application No. WD/2012/0844 Deadline for Objections: 25 May 2012 What’s happening? Once again, Crowborough Beacon Golf Club Limited is applying for permission to build on Beacon Wood, the cherished summit of Crowborough’s Ancient Common (c.1564) that forms the town’s distinctive wooded gateway. This is the same area of land that, in 2009, was saved from a plan to build a 63 bedroom care home after an unprecedented public outcry and a three day Public Inquiry. Please see the Beacon Wood page of this website. This time round, the application is for a private gated car park for 50 cars. This would increase the existing car park capacity by more than half, cutting deep into the wood with the loss of nearly thirty protected trees and the long established children's play camp. Why is the golf club doing this? This is the club’s tenth attempt at establishing the principle of development on Beacon Wood in one form or another, with seven of these attempts relating to residential development: 1951 Application for stationing of a caravan - Refused 1955 Development of land for 5 building plots - Refused 1972 Car park and five houses and garages - Refused 1972 Ancillary car park (golf club) erect 5 houses - Refused 1976 Extension of existing car park & new access - Approved 1991 Residential development - Refused 1994 Enlargement of existing car park - Approved 1996 Formal Objection to Local Plan (no.WP0026) requesting this land be included within Crowborough’s Housing Framework - Rejected 2009 Application to the Secretary of State to deregister this part of Crowborough Common as part of a plan to build a 63 bedroom care home - Rejected 2012 Extension of existing car park into protected woodland - Decision pending
There is no justification for taking yet more common land for car parking. There is no known parking problem in this area. This private club already has three large car parks that are more than adequate for its needs (the clubhouse, Southview Road and Sweethaws). There are also parts of the clubhouse’s private grounds that could be used for parking an additional 20 plus cars Those living close to the clubhouse attest that Southview Road is never overrun by golfers desperately driving up and down looking for a parking space! There are no parking restrictions in the area and, should it ever be needed, there is on road parking for at least 40 cars very close to the clubhouse. Sussex Police and East Sussex County Council have confirmed in writing there are no parking issues of which they have ever been aware. In planning terms, without a proven need, this development is ‘not sustainable’ and would suburbanise this part of the common. Were this car park allowed, Beacon Wood would become evermore fragmented and possibly vulnerable to further incremental development. The new application is dressed-up with declarations by the club that they will carry out ‘maintenance’ works that, as custodians of Beacon Wood, they should have been doing regardless. Beacon Wood has the following protections: Registered Common Land Site of Nature Conservation Importance High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Tree Preservation Order The proposed development will be detrimental to all the above. Beacon Wood has a registered badger sett and is full of wildlife including bats, owls, foxes and wild bees. This well-loved wood is used by children who have built a camp and a track with small jumps and banked corners. Development of the car park would result in the camp being bulldozed and the badgers threatened. Further, this intrusion deeper into the woodland will discourage the enjoyment by local children of this outside play amenity. How can I help stop this? Please lodge an objection (even if it is only one line) with Wealden District Council by 25 May 2012. Online: Go to www.wealden.gov.uk and enter WD/2012/0844 in the ‘Planning Applications Online’ box. Click through to the application page and then click on the ‘Comment on this application’ button. Email: To
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quoting WD/2012/0844 Post: To Planning Dept, Council Offices, Pine Grove, Crowborough TN6 1DH quoting WD/2012/0844
Also let your council representatives know your views:
Your District Councillors can be found at www.wealden.gov.uk The District Councillors for Crowborough West Ward (where the site is) are: Cllr Diane Phillips 01892 653940
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Cllr Major Antony Quin 01892 654524
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Other bodies to contact: The Open Spaces Society 01491 573535
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The High Weald AONB Unit 01580 879500
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Natural England 0300 060 6000
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 'On the Common' Reproduced with the kind permission of Michael Edwards Tel: 07979 497907 |
