Still an eyesore...

Gladedale appeal starts Tuesday

Gladedale’s appeal against the refusal of permission for its high-density housing scheme on the Archery Ground in St Leonards starts tomorrow. Both the appellant and Hastings Borough Council will be represented by barristers in a public enquiry that could last up to six days.

Also resisting the appeal will be the Save The Archery Ground (STAG) group, which has opposed Gladedale’s application to redevelop the former college site since it was first lodged in 2009. STAG has rights as a so-called Rule 6 participant to make third-party representations.

The appellant is planning to show a model of the scheme at the public enquiry, senior planning officer, Karen Phillips, confirmed to HOT. The department had asked for such a model to be provided when considering the original application, she said, though it was not then forthcoming.

The model will be on display to the public. If it is necessary to show a model to make its case at the appeal, why did Gladedale not do so in support of its original application, asked one of those opposing the appeal.

The appeal will be heard at the Magnet Centre at Christchurch in London Road, St Leonards, starting at 10am on Tuesday 6 November. The aim of holding it at this venue is to provide as much room as possible for the public, said Ms Phillips – this has after all been a very high-profile application. More than 600 objections, along with four petitions, were lodged by members of the public against Gladedale’s proposal to build a total of 155 residential units.

Given that the application process took the best part of three years, the appeal is being heard with almost indecent haste. It was only in June that the planning committee refused the application on eight grounds. The developer was given listed building consent for its plan to restore the former art school and convert it into 24 residential units, but cannot proceed while the other parts of its application remain unsanctioned.

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