Hindsland Playing Fields - offered for Housing! (Eastbourne and Willingdon Liberal Democrats)

Eastbourne and Willingdon Liberal Democrats <office@eastbournelibdems.org.uk>

Hindsland Playing Fields - offered for Housing!

January 19, 2009 11:12 AM

Cllrs Andy Watkins and Roy Martin at Hindsland Local Councillor Andy Watkins has condemned the University of Brighton for proposing to Wealden District Council that Hindsland Playing Fields be developed for housing.

This proposal has been made to Wealden District Council as part of their Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment, part of their preparations for the Wealden Local Development Framework.

Although details of the land offered by owners and developers have not been revealed by the District Council, the proposal was revealed by Agents representing the University of Brighton when lodging their objection to development proposals west of Polegate.

Cllr Watkins, a long time campaigner to bring Hindsland into community use, said "We should not be surprised because the University has always made it clear they wanted to maximise their profit but I, and many other local residents, are very disappointed by their actions. The fact that they are now using a London firm, King Sturge, which is described as the "leading supplier of property services to owners in the UK" just shows how much money there is to be made from this land and for that reason the University is determined to develop it rather than allow it to be used for recreational land.

I have learned, also, that East Sussex County Council has also told the District Council that they are willing to sell their land at Hindsland for development rather than allow the public to use it.

Both Brighton University and the County Council seem determined to keep the fields unused because they seem to think it helps their case to sell the land for development. They have not even given our residents, and more importantly our youth, a second thought - shame on them !"

Cllr Roy Martin said "Those responsible for planning this area do not seem to care that the last Wealden Local Plan shows that before any additional houses are built there is already a shortage of outdoor playing space for the residents of Polegate and Willingdon of some 17.45 hectares for youth and adults and a further 4.98 hectares for children. This shortage, the result of many years of very poor planning by the District Council, has never been satisfactorily addressed.

We are left with village football teams arguing over the shortage of pitches and our youth football teams forced to play elsewhere. It is ironic that we are told that Brighton University are planning a sports facility to engage disadvantaged young people at Falmer but are planning to concrete over existing fields in the middle of the county.

Cllr Watkins and I will continue to argue at every opportunity for our existing recreational land to be protected and this additional land to be allocated for recreational purposes. We call upon other local community leaders to support us."