After a full five years of engaging with the people of Maresfield, and listening carefully to the various views and wishes that have been voiced, David Wilson Homes has now applied for permission to build a development of new homes behind the recreation ground, around Park Farm, to meet the need for more housing. It has changed in important ways in response to the consultations. It has fewer homes, all intended to be houses for families – built in a scale, style, and layout to integrate well with the existing village. Up to 50 of them will be affordable homes.

There will be much open space for all Maresfield to enjoy, an enlarged rec, plus new paths, a pond, allotments and other facilities. The masterplan is shown on page 1, the site outlined in red.

The application brings with it real benefits for the village. There will be approximately £2 million for education, traffic and transport, and other needs. But there’s more: the government has launched a New Homes Bonus, and will pay Wealden council a sum equivalent to the council tax raised by the new homes over six years. This should be around £1.7 million – to be spent in the community where the development is built.

Public consultation and engagement with the community and its numerous organisations have been systematically undertaken since November 2005. Over more than five years David Wilson Homes has tried to work with stakeholders, and not to impose a scheme on the community that is not wanted. Three separate main consultation events (to which all households were invited) have been held, as well as discussions and meetings with the parish council, key village community groups, and neighbours.

Much has been achieved in response to the preferences and priorities expressed. In preparing the final masterplan shown here, David Wilson Homes has tried to balance and reconcile the interests of all local parties with its own proposals, not made easier because the community does not speak with a single voice: the wishes of some conflict with the wishes of others.

At the first consultation event (April 2008), a plan of some 420 units was exhibited. In response to opinions expressed, this was scaled back and the second round of consultation (February 2010) was based on a scheme of around 200 units.

In addition, to tackle the biggest issue raised during consultations, a traffic calming solution was taken forward by engineers of the project team in discussion with the Maresfield Renaissance Group. This now forms the basis of the parish council’s preferred traffic calming scheme for the village.

The third consultation (October 2010) consisted of an exhibition of the plan, which had evolved further in its design, again in response to feedback, in various ways and with a further reduction in the number of homes to no more than 170. Once again, advice received has contributed to final adjustments in the masterplan now shown here.

It will not please everyone. Given the spread of opinion, that would not be possible. But let us examine what it will do, because it brings great benefits to Maresfield. It will be a flagship development for David Wilson Homes, in which we will take real pride. It will bring to Maresfield a new standard in sensitive community growth, integrating the best of sympathetic design and new ideas with a setting of heritage buildings, established surroundings and the existing village. 

It will be a flagship development for David Wilson Homes, in which we will take real pride. It will bring to Maresfield a new standard in sensitive community growth, integrating the best of sympathetic design and new ideas with a setting of heritage buildings, established surroundings and the existing village.

Click here to view the detailed development description.
Click here to view the site plan.