Peasmarsh residents are to vote on their neighbourhood development plan in a referendum on February 29. This strategy will play an important role in the Rother District Council’s decisions on future planning applications.
The Peasmarsh plan supports housing development which focuses on medium and smaller homes — namely that 60% of new houses should be two-bedroom, 20% one-bedroom and 20% four-bedroom. Policies are also included that back rural affordable housing sites for local people’s housing needs in perpetuity and “appropriate and sympathetic” conversion of farm buildings for residential use.
In brief, the document aims to “set out the need of the parish for truly affordable homes for people with local connections”. There is also an interesting proposal to establish a Peasmarsh Community Land Trust as a non-profit body that would develop and manage affordable housing on behalf of the community.
Only one site, the 0.2 hectare Orchard Way (up to five homes) is identified in the local plan, although a further possible five sites are listed in an appendix: Flackley Ash, Woodside, Cornerways, Oaklands and the Old Football Ground. The latter two could only be developed if a means of access is found.
Further information is available from the RDC website Peasmarsh Neighbourhood Plan.
Image Credits: Nick Forman .