Press release: SeaChange forced to withdraw major Bexhill road application after lack of environmental information exposed

December 11, 2015 by combehavendefenders

Press release
Combe Haven Defenders [1]
Friday 11 December

Contact 07565 967 250

Photo: On the route of the North Bexhill Access Road http://tinyurl.com/pg2wznl

SEACHANGE FORCED TO WITHDRAW MAJOR BEXHILL ROAD APPLICATION AFTER LACK OF ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION EXPOSED

No data provided for air quality impact on ancient woodland

A planning application for a major new road in Bexhill, the North Bexhill Access Road (NBAR), has been withdrawn by developers SeaChange Sussex after an objector pointed out flaws in the environmental data provided by the company [2].

SeaChange had provided information about the impact of vehicle emissions on people’s homes, but had failed to provide such information relating to the impact on the ecology of the area. In particular, they had failed to consider the impact of emissions on ancient woodland, some of which will be only three metres from the proposed road.

In a letter of 8 December to Rother District Council, SeaChange director John Shaw asked that the planning application be withdrawn in order to allow the company time to review the issue [3].

This is the second time that a SeaChange road application has run into difficulties with air pollution issues. Last February, Hastings Borough Council granted planning permission for SeaChange’s Queensway Gateway road. It was later quashed by the High Court after a local resident brought a legal challenge which showed that the road would breach air pollution limits. The application will be reheard by HBC on Tuesday 15 December.

Combe Haven Defenders spokesperson Andrea Needham, who submitted the objection which exposed the lack of information on air quality, said, ‘It is staggering that after the Queensway Gateway fiasco, SeaChange still thinks they can get away with pulling the wool over people’s eyes in terms of air pollution. You cannot have a road carrying over 12,000 vehicles a day through sensitive habitats and pretend that vehicle emissions will not have a serious impact on the environment. Whether this omission is deliberate or simply demonstrates incompetence, Rother District Council should ensure that SeaChange provides all the necessary information before allowing this application to go ahead again. In the meantime, we encourage people to continue to make objections to this destructive and polluting project.’

Contact 07565 967 250

NOTES
[1] www.combehavendefenders.org.uk

[2] http://planweb01.rother.gov.uk/OcellaWeb/viewDocument?file=dv_pl_files\RR_2015_2260_P\OWPC5200_OnlineComment_6044.pdf&module=pl

[3] http://planweb01.rother.gov.uk/OcellaWeb/viewDocument?file=dv_pl_files\RR_2015_2260_P\RR_2015_2260_P-CA_6.pdf&module=pl