It’s Not Too Late to Object to the Owlsbury Farm Development
The online planning portal closed for objections on 22nd June 2025. More than 1,100 people have already objected to the Owlsbury Farm Development. Your voice can add to that growing number and help protect our community.
The official Wealden District Council planning portal has now closed for online submissions — but that doesn’t mean the objection window is over. The good news is that If you missed the deadline, you can still submit your objection by email, and the council must take it into account.
Our guide to commenting on the Owlsbury Development on the Wealden Planning Portal
Please use this guide to submit your comments and objection to this development on the Wealden Planning Portal.
How to object via email
To make sure your objection is registered, please follow these steps
- Send your email to: planning@wealden.gov.uk
- cc your email to: Samuel.batchelor@wealden.gov.uk
- Include the following in your email
- Application reference number:
WD/2025/0922/MEA - Site name:
LAND WEST OF UCKFIELD – OWLSBURY FARM - Your full name and postal address
- A clear request for acknowledgment of your objection
Our Guide to Objecting
Start your comment with a personal note about you – where you live and how this development will affect you personally. Then include some or all of the 10 points below as reasons for your objection. Do make them your own and adapt for your own personal use. Your own words do carry more weight. Do remember to include your address and postcode in the email and request and acknowledgement of your communication.
1. Unsuitable Location for Housing
The proposal reflects land ownership rather than properly assessed District wide town planning. The proposed development on a greenfield site outside Uckfield’s defined settlement boundary conflicts with Policies GD2 and DC17 and national planning policies. While the District lacks a 5-year housing supply, meaning policy weight is reduced, the site’s location still fails key sustainability criteria, including accessibility and infrastructure capacity.
2. Unsustainable Population Growth
The proposed development, which would add an estimated 4,000 people, combined with existing commitments at Ridgewood and potential allocations in the draft Local Plan, would significantly increase Uckfield’s population — which was 15,200 in 2021. This represents an unsustainable increase in population. Such rapid growth poses severe challenges to local infrastructure, services, and the rural environment.
3. Permanent Harm to Countryside and Landscape
The scheme would convert rural land west of the A22 into suburban housing, substantially harming Uckfield’s established pattern and rural hinterland and intruding visually on the landscape. Ancient woodlands, hedgerows, historic landscape, watercourses and the Low Weald Character Area would suffer substantial harm.
4. Irrevocable Harm to Ancient Woodland
The scheme would harm sensitive and irreplaceable ancient woodlands through light, noise, predation and pollution. National policy only permits such harm under exceptional circumstances, which this development does not represent.
5. Irreversable Harm to Biodiversity and Ecology
Sensitive habitats, including the River Uck and designated biodiversity opportunity areas, would be harmed. The site’s location within the Uck Valley Green Corridor and in close proximity to Ashdown Forest (SAC and SPA) would exacerbate environmental harm.
6. Permanent Loss of Agricultural and Carbon-Rich Land
The development would permanently destroy versatile Grade 3 farmland, undermining food security and national sustainability goals. This land also provides essential ecosystem services like carbon storage, wildlife habitat, and flood control.
7. Increased Traffic and Highway Impacts
Existing congestion on the A22 and A272 would worsen, especially at peak times. There are substantial highway capacity and access constraints to which no solution has been explored or found.
8. Inadequate Drainage and Sewerage System
Local sewage infrastructure is already under pressure, with frequent overflows. The proposed drainage plan risks contaminating nearby watercourses and sensitive woodland, while infrastructure upgrades remain uncertain.
9. Harm to Rural Context and Character
Wealden is a rural district lacking major infrastructure, unlike surrounding urban centres like Eastbourne, Tunbridge Wells and Brighton, which are well-connected. Uckfield has limited transport links and no Strategic Road Network access, making it unsuitable for large-scale development. Uckfield is distinct and separated from the satellite villages including Isfield.
10. Planning Balance Weighs Against Approval
While the development offers housing and modest economic benefits, these are far outweighed by substantial locational, environmental, heritage, and infrastructure harms. The proposal fails national and local planning policies and should be refused.