Press release: Proposed new Bexhill road has no business case or guaranteed funding, Freedom of Information request reveals
October 20, 2015 by combehavendefenders
On the route of the proposed North Bexhill Access Road
Press release
Combe Haven Defenders [1]
Tuesday 20 October
Contact 07565 967 250
Photo: On the route of the NBAR http://tinyurl.com/pg2wznl
PROPOSED NEW BEXHILL ROAD HAS NO BUSINESS CASE OR GUARANTEED FUNDING, FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REVEALS
Campaigners call on council to refuse to consider planning application for North Bexhill Access Road
A Freedom of Information request has revealed that the North Bexhill Access Road (NBAR), for which planning permission has already been requested, has neither guaranteed funding nor a properly evaluated business case. According to the information supplied in response to the request, the business case is not expected to be available before April 2016.
SeaChange Sussex recently applied for planning permission [2] for the 2.4km road which would join the Bexhill Hastings Link Road to the A269 west of Sidley. However, a recent response [3] to a Freedom of Information request made by Combe Haven Defenders to the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) states that ‘the business case for the scheme has not yet gone through the Independent Technical Evaluation process and the funding has not yet been guaranteed by the government’. It goes on to say that ‘The business case and ITE [Independent Technical Evaluation] will be published on the SELEP website once this stage is completed; this is not expected to be before April 2016.’
The NBAR – which has been allocated £5m in funding by SELEP [4] – would run through what is currently open countryside north of Bexhill [5], and allow a large area of land to be infilled with housing and business parks.
Combe Haven Defenders spokesperson Emily Johns said, ‘This is a case where the cart is miles in front of the horse. Our previous experience suggests that SeaChange is likely to start work on the road as soon as planning permission is granted. If it turns out later that the business case does not stack up, or the funding does not materialise, huge and irreparable damage will already have been done to the countryside. We’re calling on Rother District Council to refuse to consider the planning application for the road unless and until SeaChange can show a proper business plan and guaranteed funding for the scheme.’
Contact 07565 967 250
NOTES
[1] www.combehavendefenders.org.uk
[3] https://combehavendefenders.wordpress.com/?attachment_id=4806 (note that the response is from Essex County Council as the accountable body for the South East Local Enterprise Partnership)
[5] http://www.seachangesussex.co.uk/new-bexhill-road-proposals-shown-to-public-comments-invited/
Combe Haven Defenders 