Save the Ouse Valley
CLICK HERE TO SIGN PETITION
Please support our cause. Your support is greatly appreciated.
The ecological destruction taking place in the Ouse Valley is appalling. In a stunning area of rolling hills, sunken lanes, rich grassland, and ancient, ghyll woodland, developers have obliterated the landscape with a vast array of structures, without planning permission and in a highly a visible location. This is not the spoiling of a pretty landscape – it is major environmental vandalism.
As you may be aware the last 6 months have seen some devastating action within the Ouse Valley in Sussex. The affected area is located in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, adjacent to the Landscape Heritage Trail and just outside the historic village of Cuckfield, itself a conservation area. The area has a network of footpaths and narrow sunken lanes that are used by ramblers to enjoy its stunning surrounding countryside and wildlife, including many protected species.
Located in an AONB, the area has been designated as a Countryside Area of Development Restraint. Its special nature led to an Article 4 direction being placed on the land in 1987, which had the effect of withdrawing permitted development rights.
Developers acquired land in December 2009 and have since sought to obtain residential use for it. A portacbain arrived in January, which was occupied. This was followed by a mobile in March 2010 only a month after alpacas had been put on the land. The developers having no prior experience of breeding them. They submitted a planning application for the mobile home in April 2010, claiming that it is required as an agricultural worker dwelling in abuse of Planning Policy Statement 7, Annex A.
Other than the mobile home, there is now in excess of 2kms of fencing, a steel structure for a building of unknown use, a shipping container, a portacabin, an array of passenger and commercial vehicles and various bunds that have been thrown up. The development has caused major problems relating to visual impact and traffic. The development is destroying the beauty of the valley and its character – the very aspects which have given it its special status. Despite this, MSDC has failed to enforce against this and other unauthorised development occurring on the land. MSDC says it has requested Planning applications for certain aspects, which have not been received, nor has enforcement action taken place. In other areas, MSDC is not accepting that the development is not permitted, despite the Article 4 direction. At the same time seems to have the scope and scale of development continues to expand with no coherent explanation. MSDC’s failure to control this development seems to have encouraged unauthorised development of other neighbouring land.
We are campaigning for the AONB to be restored and protected.
Please show your support and sign the petition so that this unauthorised development can be stopped.