One of the old college buildings - will one eyesore be replaced by another?

Gladedale judgement postponed to May

Judgement day for the Gladedale proposal for redeveloping the Archery Ground in St Leonards has been postponed again – instead of coming up before the council planning committee on 28 March, it has now been rescheduled to 23 May, after the local elections have taken place.

But the date for submitting comments on the developer’s latest amendments remains the same – “before 13 March 2012,” as the letter from senior planner Karen Phillips notifying receipt of the amendments states. Enquiries by HOT to the planning department elicited confirmation that this means that the actual deadline is Monday 12 March.

Since its proposals were first tabled in 2009, Gladedale has several times been told that parts of them were unsatisfactory. However, in the opinion of pressure group STAG – Save The Archery Ground – the latest amendments still do not assuage the planning department’s concerns.

“Gladedale has neglected to deal with a number of points on details of design, boundary treatments and landscaping,” joint chair Trish Evans told HOT. “They have refused to provide a 3D model of the development (on the grounds of expense) and failed to provide a contour map of the site, making it difficult to accurately judge heights of proposed and existing buildings. Their own figures vary from plan to plan.”

The developer’s final proposals are not significantly different from those first put forward in 2009, despite the planning department’s many requests for revisions. “There have been cosmetic changes, and a small reduction in the number of proposed housing units (from 163 to 155),” said Ms Evans.

Little change from 2009

“But the footprint of the new buildings is substantially the same as it was in early 2011, and not much changed from the first plans submitted in September 2009.

“English Heritage has consistently objected to the application on the grounds that it will have a ‘significant, harmful impact that will detract from the character and appearance of the conservation area,’” she added.

If Gladedale is allowed to implement its plans, it will be a black day for Hastings and St Leonards, in STAG’s view. “The development will damage the heritage and history of Burtons’ New Town irreversibly, jeopardise efforts to regenerate St Leonards and undermine council policy on enhancing and preserving conservation areas,” said Ms Evans.

“In the view of STAG the current proposal is a disaster for the future of the town. It will flood the area with scores of mean-sized one and two-bed flats when what the borough needs – and everyone agrees – are family-sized homes. It is the worst sort of stack-them-high, sell-them-cheap development that is at least 20 years out of date. St Leonards deserves far better.”

STAG’s detailed assessment of Gladedale’s latest plans can be seen on its website.

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