Land adjacent to Sandrock

Below are some frequently asked questions about the land adjacent to Sandrock bends.

Does the site have planning permission?

No, an application to develop the land has not been submitted to date.

Is the site allocated in the Local Plan?

Yes, the site is allocated for residential development in the current Local Plan (site allocation SH1) and identified in the Draft Local Plan (Regulation 18) as suitable for residential allocation (site allocation HL19).

Policy SH1 of the Hastings Strategy Local Plan is available online and lists criteria that any application must comply with.

How will an application be assessed, if one is submitted for the site?

If a planning application for the residential redevelopment of the site is submitted, it will be assessed against policy SH1 of the Hastings Planning Strategy Development Management Plan. However, the draft local plan (regulation 18) policy HL19, will also be material to the assessment of the application, dependent on when the application has been made. The weight attached the draft policy is limited at Reg 18 stage. It’s worth noting that the Draft Local Plan, regulation 18 stage, which means that it may be subject of change. 

How many houses will be on the site?

As yet we do not know how many houses will be proposed as part of a planning application, however the current local plan provides an indicative capacity of 80 dwellings and the draft local plan tests an indicative capacity of 140 dwellings.

How many affordable houses does the relevant policy require on site?

Policy SH1 in the current Local Plan requires that 40% of the residential units are affordable housing. The Reg 18 draft local plan policy HL19 states that 25% of the houses should be affordable, however it should be noted that this is a draft policy and may well be subject to change. If a planning application were submitted before Regulation 19 is published, policy HL19 would carry considerably less weight in the assessment of the application than policy SH1 of the current Local Plan.

Why has the draft local plan got a lower affordable homes number than the current local plan?

The council's planning policy team has to look at the viability in relation to any affordable housing requirement and the advice received by consultants was that it would not be viable to have 40% affordable housing on the site. 

What designations/constraints are there on the site?

The current proposals map shows the site located in an archaeological notification area and partially within the Ore Place Conservation Area.

Is there a Tree Preservation Order on the site?

Two Tree Preservation Orders cover a small strip of land adjacent to the site boundaries where they abut The Ridge and also east of Sandrock Hall.  

The relevant Tree Preservation Orders are TPO 172 and TPO 86.

Are there any biodiversity designations on the site?

There are no biodiversity designations on the site, such as a Local Nature Reserve.  No works to trees covered by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) can take place without prior consent. However, clearance of vegetation, other than TPO trees, is not development and not therefore something that we can control. If the clearance of the land has or, you think, could result in harm to protected species, such as a badger sett, then concerned parties need to contact Wildlife crime | Sussex Police who enforce such matters.

When a planning application is submitted how do I comment?

Details of how to comment, what you can comment on, what matters are taken into account and not taken into account, what happens to a comment, deadline for comments, petitions and seeking independent advice can be viewed here. The developers are currently running a consultation asking people to give their views on a potential planning application. You can find out more and have your say in their consultation.

Can I be notified when a planning application is submitted?

Our Planning Public Access tool allows you to track a planning application from when it is registered with us until the decision is made. If the application is refused and an appeal is made, you can track that too. Once an application is tracked, every time a new item is added to the public file you will be notified by email. For details about how to track an application, please see our user guide.