On 24 Jun 2009 at 11:29am sashimi wrote:
The Malling Brooks Planning Application is going back to the Planning Committee for the third time today at County Hall. There's a photo call at 4.30 for the Argus, Sussex Express and BBC so please get there if you can to make it clear that this popular support. A petition from more than 800 residents asking for the last bit of greenfield in the town to be used for allotments, nature reserve and amenity will be presented at the same time. BBC SE Breakfast mentioned the application this morning and will cover the result tomorrow. Reporters from the Argus and Sussex Express are also going to be there. This is the first major decision taken since Lewes became part of the National Park - and we have to draw a line on inappropriate development and sloppy planning controls somewhere. So, let's make a stand here.
On 24 Jun 2009 at 12:06pm bonfirek wrote:
Where do we stand if we support the application? The Lewes coalition never asked my opinion!
On 24 Jun 2009 at 12:17pm sashimi wrote:
Oh dear, bonfirek. The Lewes Coalition is a federation of a number of groups in the Town and it's campaigned against this proposal for a number of reasons. The overwhelming majority - but not all - of the people we have spoken to agree with us. You have every right to express a different view.
On 24 Jun 2009 at 12:21pm Spongebob wrote:
Contary to popular belief, BonfireK is not me......................but i do like his style 
On 24 Jun 2009 at 12:23pm Decent Citizen wrote:
Hmmm!
On 24 Jun 2009 at 12:26pm concerned wrote:
Sashimi is right; a line has to be drawn. Once the economy picks up developers will rush to turn Lewes into a faceless dormitory town. Big money is involved and we'll be fighting for the life of our town. The Malling Brooks application has to be rejected. Let's just hope that our councillors have the courage to go against an illogical planning stance. Do go to County Hall if you are able. We need to bear witness.
On 24 Jun 2009 at 12:31pm bonfirek wrote:
bear witness??!!! Is there nothing else more important going on in your life than this, it's a worry!
On 24 Jun 2009 at 12:50pm Decent Citizen wrote:
Only a worry for those not informed or interested in the future of our beautiful town.They either do not care, or do not have the intelligence to understand the implications. I think mostly it is the me, me, me, element rather than a lack of understanding. The society we live in encourages an element of "it"s old lets get rid, build some modern stuff" I find this very sad.
On 24 Jun 2009 at 12:56pm bonfirek wrote:
Don't worry, i am informed and i am very interested in the town of my birth! I just hate groups claiming to speak on behalf of all the reidents of a town, when they clearly don't. Boils my blood!
On 24 Jun 2009 at 1:27pm Janet Street Preacher wrote:
Are we talking about the ugly piece of waste ground near the parcel office?
If this development brings more industry and jobs to the town that's a good thing isn't it?
Allotments for 20 people seems like a poor alternative
On 24 Jun 2009 at 1:28pm bonfirek wrote:
It is indeed, but the nimby DFL's think that wasteland is more important than jobs!
On 24 Jun 2009 at 1:33pm Mystic Mog wrote:
Janet the land you are referring to, opposite Sackville house, is another development. The bit you mention already has planning permission for a load of housing and industrial units. As high as Sackville house and aesthetically challenged.
On 24 Jun 2009 at 1:37pm me wrote:
as a kid I loved that wasteland.
as an adult, I'd like employment opportunity and cheap housing in the town ( I don't really believe that much of that will be offered in the development though)
On 24 Jun 2009 at 2:16pm sashimi wrote:
The development proposed is 7 industrial units and a car park. It is intended for the relocation of the businesses on the Phoenix Industrial Estate so that can be developed for housing. Except that the Phoenix development won't now be going ahead. There is a surplus of industrial units in the town which is why Tesco will probably be allowed to knock 3 more down. So if planning permission is given, nothing will be built. But the site will be blighted with no development - and no green space usage possible. It just doesn't make sense. Bonfirek, come and see for yourself.
On 24 Jun 2009 at 2:55pm LTLR wrote:
Bonfirek, Malling Brooks was under 4 Metres of water on 12th October 2000
and it continues to flood when we have a lot of rain twice this year.
If you had 12 feet of water in your house like I did you would be campaning againest any BUILD on this FLOOD PLAIN .
On 24 Jun 2009 at 3:24pm Janet Street Preacher wrote:
So is the bit at the end of the road where the van hire place is (SHS?)
ie. at the end of brooks road and turn right?
On 24 Jun 2009 at 3:28pm bonfirek wrote:
i have seen, i live just round the corner from it, in a flood plain!
On 24 Jun 2009 at 9:27pm bonfirek wrote:
Sashimi, in reply to your last post, how can a site be "blighted with no development "? Surely thats what you want, no development?! Confusing lot you all are!
On 24 Jun 2009 at 9:32pm phoenixneighbour wrote:
I'm with bonfirek on this one. Round here many support the idea of a development on the Phoenix site. Even if you do not, it will happen - so get real. Proposing allotments or an absurd 'village green' common land application will do no-one any favours, not least because the Planning Authority have to take each application on its own merits. Like many I am dismayed by much of what I see as I travel about the country and it is a relief to return to Lewes; but development that pays its way must happen for the sake of those who live here and wish to work here as anything other than artists or academics. As it stands the commercial (and retail) base for Lewes is alarmingly narrow - some constructive engagement is surely required. not the usual pieties.
On 24 Jun 2009 at 9:53pm Ltr wrote:
You are right to say it will happen. In fact it was very obvious at the planning meeting that the decision had already been made before it was considered. This has happened before, and it is rather patronising that Councillor Gardiner and his cronies don't seem to think we can tell! They would of course deny it, but unfortunately his colleagues are not as discrete as he would like to think.
Incidentally Cllr Gardiner. is not the only person with engineering experience, and does not need to mention it at every meeting.
Phoenix neighbour, it is hard to take what you take seriously, because you are talking about a different site! Malling Brooks . The clue about its wetness is in the name!
On 25 Jun 2009 at 1:02pm phoenixneighbour wrote:
Any attention paid to my post will reveal I am not. The general points remain - if we are realistic about the limits of planning law and the discretion available to the committee, we might achieve more. Conspiracy theories do not help.
On 25 Jun 2009 at 1:57pm Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
What WAS the decision? I assume it got the go-ahead?
On 25 Jun 2009 at 4:21pm DAVE2 wrote:
Im sorry to say yes the did get the go ahead but with conditions
there is another thread running with more details.
also Tesco got Deferred.
On 26 Jun 2009 at 11:18am curtis wrote:
This development is behind the flood defences and won't affect whether the river ever breaks its banks. Malling residents are well protected from flooding
On 26 Jun 2009 at 1:25pm Ed Can Do wrote:
Sadly curtis, you're missing the point. The idea of a flood plain is to soak up all the water in teh event of a flodd, stopping it going elsewhere. Malling Brooks in it's current state acts like a massive sponge, so that should the river burst it's banks, a lot of the water will be absorbed and drained away by the Brooks. Once it's all concreted over and built on, any flood water will not drain away but will instead sit around and as a result, the flood water will rise much higher. What people are worried about is that if Lewes does ever flood again, without the Brooks those of us living a few streets higher than got flooded last time will need to break out the wellies.
I believe Style has said they'll put in a storm drain to mitigate this danger. I also believe that some surveyors said there was no way it'd be big enough to do the job and concreting over the Brooks will mean that any future floods in Lewes will be significantly worse.
They ought to make a condition of the building work that Charles Style lives there. I'm sure he'd quickly withdraw his application then.