The Local Plan, site TP1

TP1: Land South of Crowhurst Road

Wishing Tree ward. From Appendix 1 Draft Local Plan - Pre Submission (Regulation 19) September 2026 ↗, Full Council, Wed 23 Sep 2026.

For
Permanent Site for Gypsies and Travellers
Minimum Indicative Capacity (pitches)
2
Site area
0.17 hectares
Crowhurst RoadLand South of Crowhurst Road (2 pitches)
Placed at Crowhurst Road, the street its name gives, where OpenStreetMap puts it. The site's exact boundary is on the council's Policies Map ↗.

What the plan says about it

The site is located at the junction of B2092 Crowhurst Road and A2690 Queensway. Queensway has connections to the wider road network, including the A2690 Combe Valley Way (leading to the A259 to Brighton) and the A21 (leading to London and the A259 to Ashford) Some access improvements are required. The site has sufficient space to comfortably accommodate at minimum no.2 pitches, associated berths and ancillary buildings.

The site has a Local Wildlife Site and Ancient Woodland nearby. These areas must be specifically referenced in any Ecological Constraints and Opportunities Plan (ECOP), and the lighting plan must seek to minimise light spill to these and other areas of wildlife sensitivity. An arboriculture plan must also be provided to set out how existing trees will be either integrated into the proposal, or their loss will be compensated for. The ECOP, lighting plan and arboriculture plan can all form part of the same document if appropriate.

The rest of the plan's explanation (3 more paragraphs)

The site has an established tree belt at the perimeter, and any scheme should seek to preserve and enhance this both for the ecological value and for the amenity benefits it can provide in terms of amenity by screening the site from the noise, emissions and lack of privacy that could result from a more open boundary with Queensway. Additionally, retention of boundary landscaping to the west of the site will also provide a buffer that can help mitigate any noise and disturbance from the nearby railway line.

The site does not currently benefit from a sewerage connection, or suitable access to the highway. A sewer connection will be required for any utility block and must also be able to support the safe and easy disposal of any cassette waste holding tank contents from vehicles. Access to the site must be improved in line with the advice of the highway authority to provide safe access to and from the site for both residents and servicing.

The site has minimal risk from surface water flooding. However, for the amenity of residents an appropriate SuDS system should be incorporated into any proposal. Such schemes should seek to preserve water quality by including any necessary mitigation measures.

What a planning application here would have to do

The policy's conditions, in its own words:

  1. Be supported by an Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) and include an Ecological Constraints and Opportunities Plan (ECOP) and incorporate appropriate conservation and mitigation measures as recommended by the EcIA. The ECOP must make specific reference to the presence of the nearby Ancient Woodland and Local Wildlife Site, and priority habitat within the site and make clear recommendations regarding the provision of appropriate buffers. Opportunities for enhancement should have regard to the LNRS and should include an ecological management plan
  2. include a lighting plan to minimise light spill to nearby areas of wildlife sensitivity, including nearby Ancient Woodland and Local Wildlife Site
  3. provide an Arboriculture Plan that demonstrates how existing trees on site will be integrated into the development, or how compensation will be made for their loss
  4. retain and enhance existing landscaping to maintain an amenity and pollution buffer with Queensway and the nearby railway
  5. include improvements to the access at the junction of Crowhurst Road and the Queensway as advised by the Local Highways Authority (East Sussex County Council).
  6. provide a connection to the sewerage system at the nearest point of adequate capacity, as advised by Southern Water and ensure future access to the existing sewerage and water supply infrastructure for maintenance and upsizing purposes.
  7. include an appropriate drainage plan to manage surface water and preserve water quality.

What people said in the spring

In the spring 2026 consultation on the draft plan (called Regulation 18), 7 comments were made on this site: 5 objections, 0 in support and 2 other comments. In the spring draft it was policy GT1.

How to comment

The council hasn't opened the six weeks for comments yet, as far as we can see. When it does, the dates and how to respond will be on our Local Plan page and on the council's own ↗.

At this stage a comment is about whether the plan is legally compliant and sound. What that means.

Other council papers that mention it

Read from the plan ↗ and the spring consultation report ↗ with fixed rules; no language model is involved. The plan's own text is what counts.