Planning proposals to create a new West Uckfield are growing

The scale of development being proposed to the west of Uckfield continues to grow.

First, there is the Ashdown Business Park Expansion – 77 acres.

Then there is Owlsbury Farm – more than 1,500 homes across 413 acres.

And now there is the filling in the sandwich – Oakwood Park – another 26 acres.

Together, these three proposals cover a staggering 516 acres.

To put that into perspective, the whole of Uckfield today, including Ridgewood, covers approximately 1,200 acres.

This is no longer about individual developments. Taken together, these proposals would create development on a huge scale to the west of Uckfield.

Owlsbury – the fundamental problems remain – further consultation underway

In August 2026, Fairfax made some amendments to the Owlsbury proposal.

But the fundamental principles of the scheme remain unchanged.

The buffers around the Ancient Woodland areas have been altered and the proposal now includes 1,550 homes, while the amount of land allocated for sports pitches has been reduced.

The site remains to the west of the A22, remote from and outside the existing settlement of Uckfield. It is not within reasonable walking distance of Uckfield’s facilities and services.

Uckfield does not have a well-connected railway station and train services are infrequent.

The proposal still relies on people crossing the A22, which would become a 50 mph dual carriageway. Three ground-level crossing points are proposed, but there is still no commitment to build a bridge. Even where bridges are provided, there is no guarantee that people will use them.

Most importantly, the cumulative transport problem has not gone away. The A22 simply does not have adequate capacity for development on this scale.

None of the fundamental reasons for opposing Owlsbury has been addressed.

The applicant specifically states that these amendments respond to Wealden District Council’s comments – not to the objections raised by the public.

The substantial concerns remain:

loss of farmland
damage to ecology and biodiversity
landscape and environmental harm
potential effects on Ashdown Forest
unsustainable development in a poorly connected location
inadequate highway capacity
lack of a clear solution to the strategic issue of water supply

These are not minor concerns – and minor amendments do not make them disappear

If you objected before, please object again

It is important that Wealden District Council understands that the latest amendments have not addressed the reasons people objected to the original scheme.

Please email Wealden and make this absolutely clear.

How to reconfirm your objection

Send your email to: planning@wealden.gov.uk
Copy your email to: Samuel.batchelor@wealden.gov.uk
Include:
- Application reference: WD/2025/0922/MEA
- Site: LAND WEST OF UCKFIELD – OWLSBURY FARM
- your full name and postal address
- a clear statement that the August amendments do not address your original objections
- a request for acknowledgement that your objection has been received and registered

If you objected before, please do not assume your job is done. Reconfirm your objection and make sure your voice is heard.

Ashdown Business Park Expansion has not gone away

The planning application was refused in March 2026. The first reason given is that “the site lies outside any defined development boundary and within open countryside where new industrial or commercial development is unacceptable in principle unless expressly supported by Local Plan policy”.

There remains a very high risk that the Expansion will be slipped into the draft Regulation 19 Local Plan. If so, then, being in the Plan, gets around the March first reason for refusal.

Permission was also refused because of risks of dangerous “forever chemicals” PFAS contamination leaching from the Fire Training Station. No independent evidence has been published to prove that there is no PFAS on the site and in nearby water courses.

Oakwood Park – another 26 acres

The Oakwood Park proposal would:

make the proposed Ashdown Business Park Expansion even larger
introduce 600 more car parking spaces when the A22 is already struggling to cope – the Highway Authority has already objected to the Business Park and Owlsbury proposals because of inadequate highway capacity
add yet more out-of-town shopping, potentially causing further damage to Uckfield High Street
create another leisure centre, potentially threatening the future of Uckfield Leisure Centre, which has only recently been saved from closure

The Oakwood Park proposal will be coming forward for public comment soon. Get ready to have your say.

Regulation 19 Draft Local Plan is coming soon – get ready

The draft is expected to be published in October. This will be full draft Plan. Objections must explain why the Plan is “unsound”.

A sound plan should satisfy the following tests:

a. Positive – the plan sets out a positive approach to delivering growth to meet the development needs of the area, and is based on effective joint working on cross-boundary strategic matters;

b. Appropriate – the plan sets out an appropriate strategy to enable the delivery of sustainable development, taking into account reasonable alternatives, and is based on proportionate evidence;

c. Effective – the plan sets out effective policies for development, and there is a reasonable prospect that its site allocations are capable of being deliverable at the time envisioned;

d. Consistent with national policy – the plan accords with the policies for plan-making in this Framework and other statements of national planning policy where relevant, and does not include policies which duplicate, substantively restate or are inconsistent with the content of national policies for decision-making.

SABREOWL will be providing advice once it is published

Summer 2026 update