Plumpton Parish Council

In December, 2014 the keys to 14 new ‘Affordable Homes’ in Sun Close, Plumpton Green were handed over to 14 happy, local families and individuals.

This resulted from a perception back in 2010 by Plumpton Parish Council that there was an urgent need for such homes in the village, something that had earlier been indicated through the research of the Village Action Plan. Action in rural Sussex (AirS) was commissioned by the Parish Council to conduct a survey to ascertain whether this was factual.

The response showed that there was a likely demand for 42 such homes at that time. On that basis the Parish Council formed a working group to take the matter forward and to satisfy at least some of that demand.

The working group liaised closely with AirS and Lewes District Council Housing Department to identify sites that could meet accepted criteria and produce a practical result. Much research was carried out before a shortlist of four sites was produced and, in the process, there was consultation with LDC Planning Department and ESCC Highways Department.
To qualify for funding for this type of development and to ensure preferential availability to local residents, any site would need to be outside the existing planning boundary and be classified as an ‘exception site’ to provide Affordable Homes.

Next, the owners of those four sites were approached and two of them stated that they would not be prepared to sell their land for Affordable Housing purposes, possibly because the value of the land would be considerably lower than if sold for commercial development, assuming that planning consent could be obtained.

The entire group agreed that one of the two remaining sites was more favourable than the other and Hastoe Housing Association was invited to assess that site and, if viable, produce a scheme. Hastoe has developed a number of such projects in Sussex, including nearby Wivelsfield Green and Newick.

An initial scheme was duly presented and this was presented to the Parish Council and thus Plumpton residents. As in every such case, there was some opposition to the proposal and people were able to voice their opinions openly. The view was that a large majority of residents, as well as the local authority, were in favour of the project and by a large majority (7 to 2) the Parish Council voted to support it.

The proposal went forward for planning consent, supported by the Parish Council and our District Councillor. It was approved and building commenced at the end of 2013.

Throughout the process the Parish Council was assured that the homes would only be allocated to local residents or those with strong local connections. Some doubted the authenticity of that promise and a blow seemed likely to have been struck when Lewes District Council changed its criteria for the allocation of housing within Lewes District.

Plumpton Parish Council was well aware of the assurances given during the process and immediately mounted a campaign to ensure that those assurances were honoured. AirS, Hastoe and indeed members of LDC Housing Department plus the District Councillor mounted a challenge to any deviation from that principle and LDC conceded the point. The result was that 13 of the homes were allocated to village residents or those with strong local collections. The remaining unit was not taken up by anyone on the list and it was allocated to a family from neighbouring Chailey.

There are 12 rented homes within the development and two in shared ownership. Within the development there is a mix of one and two-bedroomed houses, one and two-bedroomed flats and just one house with three bedrooms. This particularly caters for young families just starting off and for older people wishing to downsize. The discounts created under the scheme give rentals which are 20% below market values and thus represent a substantial saving and make it possible for residents and others who had been forced to move out to remain in or return to their home community.

On May 15, 2015 the development was formally opened and blessed by the Bishop of Lewes, the Rt Rev’d Richard Jackson.