Villagers win the battle of the hill

CAMPAIGNING Ticehurst villagers are delighted at the rejection of a planning application to build housing on one of the village's most desirable sites.

Hastoe Housing Association had applied for planning permission to build 14 affordable homes on the site, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The houses would have been visible for some distance, with the site lying on the crest of a hill in between Ticehurst and Pashley Manor.

Following villagers' creation of STOP – Save Ticehurst's Outstanding Panorama – the group held a silent protest last Tuesday while planners surveyed the site and member Dan Kirkby feels the group's proactive approach had an effect on the outcome.

An ecstatic Mr Kirkby said: "Victory is ours! It was a fantastic group effort and I think we had a lot to do with the decision.

"Considering the time constraint, we did fantastically.

"We found out about it before Christmas and then there's been the terrible weather. It only left us with three weeks to object."

With Rother District Council initially recommending that planning permission was granted, things were looking bleak for villagers.

Residents were beginning to lose faith in the local government system, said Mr Kirkby, adding: "People felt worried that the political process would let them down but as it happens, it hasn't.

"It has also restored people's faith in local democracy. A huge number of people in the village decided they should do something about it, and they did."

Mr Kirkby reiterated that it was not the construction of affordable homes which villagers were against, but simply the location.

"We always concentrated solely on the subject. We have never had a problem with those who want to build housing.

"In fact, we see the need for housing but just not in this location. They just got that part of it completely wrong," he said.

The district council's planning committee received 90 objections to the application and the committee refused it with a seven-to-four vote.