Thumbs down to Bird in Eye

About 200 people packed into the Weald Hall at the Civic Centre, and some stood throughout proceedings, to take part in discussions on the draft Local Plan prepared by Wealden Council.

At the end of the meeting chairman Keith Whitehead asked how many people were opposed to the Bird in Eye proposals and nearly every hand in the room went up. When asked if anybody favoured the site about five hands went up.

Concerns about traffic problems in Framfield Road and Uckfield town centre, the threat of shortcuts and rat runs being created through Framfield and Blackboys, fears about an increased risk of flooding were all voiced at the meeting.

And there was support for a scheme being promoted by the trustees of Downlands Farm to build up to 600 houses there, a business park, community college campus, doctors surgery, shops and community facilities.

People liked the idea of all the facilities promised for the Downlands Farm site and asked how Bird in Eye could compete on that score.

But Mick Oldham, policy and development manager for Wealden Council, said the draft plan promoted the Ashdown Business Park, Maresfield. The education authority had indicated that the community college could cope with the extra numbers of pupils from 500 new homes and if there had been a need for a separate campus it would need to be provided close to the existing school because staff would need to move between the two sites.

He said development to the north west of the town would open up a whole new landscape which currently provided a setting to Uckfield. The northern area was more akin to the High Weald, it was a wooded, sloping area coming down to the A22 and surrounding countryside and was a very important area.