Data showing the pressure being put on Uckfield GP surgeries and schools was revealed last night (September 30).
It came as town councillors discussed the latest plans for an 119-homes extension to the Harlands Farm Estate.
During the meeting Karen Bedwell, who is a town councillor but spoke as a member of the public from the gallery, gave the statistics to plans committee members.
Cllr Karen Bedwell
She said no new infrastructure had been put in place in Uckfield since 2008 when the outline planning permission was first granted for the site off Mallard Drive.
“Since that time, just in the Ridgewood area of Uckfield, we have had in the region of 300/350 properties built in recent years at Sand Ridge, Harlands Mews and Fernley Park alone and currently another 1,000 homes are being constructed at Ridgewood Farm,” she said.
Mrs Bedwell said the Bird in Eye doctors’ surgery has just under 8,000 patients, with six part-time and full-time doctors, and cannot expand any further, or take on more doctors. Clinic facilities are already maximised.
The Meads surgery has just over 8,000 patients, she said, with four doctors and a locum. It has room to expand but it is hampered by a national shortages of GPs.
She said Harlands school was consistently full with only odd spaces in year groups.
“Holy Cross [primary school] does have space but, for pupils in the south of the town this means a journey from one side of Uckfield to the other.
“There has been no further provision for extra pupils’ space at the community college, despite the new build and is already over-subscribed for local children“ she said.
Mrs Bedwell said the roads were already congested which would would be added to by the Ridgewood Farm development.
Access point
She said: “Specifically, with regard to the Mallard development, there is only provision for a single point of access on to Mallard Drive with an allocation for 256 car park spaces.
“This will cause congestion on Mallard Drive itself at peak times.”
The access was also close to the school entrance which is already congested at drop-off and pick-up times.
Listen to Uckfield
Mrs Bedwell summed up:
“Uckfield simply cannot continue to have large housing developments foisted upon it without due diligence being given to all its amenities, including transport links, public services, water and sewage.
“It is time that planners from East Sussex County Council and Wealden District Council started to take the views of residents into consideration.”
Mallard Drive opposition intensifies