Maresfield survey - summer 2011

Maresfield development is not unwelcome

We have been conducting a survey in Maresfield over the summer, and we thought you would like to know the results.

This was the latest stage of consulting with residents surrounding the development and with the community of Maresfield as a whole, which started back in 2005. Three separate main consultation events have taken place, and we have tried to accommodate the wishes of the residents at every stage. The David Wilson Homes (DWH) designed team has listened, fundamentally changing the design, size and nature of the proposed development from the original 420-home scheme put forward on the site, scaled down to 200 and now 170 new homes (up to 500 homes were proposed in Wealden District Council’s  2007 issues and options strategy).

Our latest survey was a sample, proportionately representative of the various areas of the village, with a total of 48 participants, reflecting some 10 per cent of homes.

Contrary to what many have said, our survey has revealed that there is not a majority view against development in Maresfield. Support for development came from residents in smaller houses or with families, commenting that many cannot afford to buy homes in Maresfield. Children of residents and other first time buyers have to move away from the village if they want to set up home.

The situation is not predicted to improve, with the new Ashdown Business Park in Maresfield creating between 600 and 700 new jobs and increasing demand for housing. The fact is, the majority of these people will not and cannot move to Maresfield due to the lack of available housing and its affordability. Instead, they will travel to Maresfield each day, further adding to the already serious traffic problems.

The survey found there was a significant lack of information in the village, with 90 per cent not being aware of the Government’s New Homes Bonus, 54 per cent having not heard of the imminent Localism bill, and 46 per cent not aware of Maresfield’s previous aspirations to be an autonomous parish. The benefits to come from the DWH development will be substantial. An estimated £1.7million will come from the Government, through the New Homes Bonus, on top of the over £2million S106 and Community Infrastructure Levy payments which will come from the developer, and which are already allocated to be spent on the reduction in through traffic using traffic calming measures, and on school investment in the village.

There was some support for Maresfield to try again to be a parish in its own right, and a far larger volume of support (75 per cent) for Maresfield to do its own Neighbourhood Plan. 79 per cent also wanted the whole village to be consulted about its future.

In terms of the Core Strategy, 69 per cent were not aware of the 50-home allocation for the next 20 years.  Properly planned development in Maresfield will enable the village to evolve. Growth will allow Maresfield to reach the size that will enable it to retain and attract infrastructure and services many clearly want, such as a traditional pub, more shops, a health centre and the like. Small scale and piecemeal development of two homes per year proposed in Wealden Council’s new Core Strategy will bring no benefits to the village at all, and no affordable homes.

Those participants who wanted further information about the Localism Bill, the New Homes Bonus and the very new Draft National Planning Framework have been sent government literature on each. If you would like to be sent similar information, please go to the Ask a question page, complete the details, and say that you want to receive this information. It will be sent to you by email.