Chantry scheme refused

The district council's planning committee last Friday refused an application for six semi-detached and four detached houses to be built, citing insufficient regard to neighbouring properties and the impact on preserved tress.

The scheme had echoes of an application in 2005 which would have seen 40 new homes built and several existing properties demolished.

That plan was later refused on appeal.

The latest scheme would so only one home demolished and the development built in the substantial back gardens of numbers three to 19 Chantry Avenue.

But councillors were less than impressed with the proposal.

Cllr Deirdre Williams said: "This would completely change the whole area for the people who live there and also for the rest of Bexhill. it is an attractive part of the town.

"I have no objections to knocking down and replacing something that needs to be replaced, but this doesn't need it."

Cllr David Vereker said: "I thought we were fighting back land development as much as possible?

"I think it should be refused and refused because it is simply back land development."

Chief planning officer Frank Rallings told members a definition of 'back land development' was difficult.

He said the application could be served by an adopted road and was there for difficult to refuse on the access grounds usually associated with infilling land.

Mr Rallings added he believed councillors would have grounds to refuse on the reasons presented in the report.