The SANGS area, aimed at diverting people from the ecologically sensitive Ashdown Forest, is to the west of the A22 and will cover more than 73 acres.
A statement in support of the outline planning application for 1,000 homes states:
“The design of the SANGS will focus on the provision of informal recreational opportunities that will be used to mitigate potential adverse impacts on the Ashdown Forest Special Protection Area (SPA) in terms of increased visitor pressure on the Ashdown Forest from the proposed development.
“The SANGS will comprise a 2.5km long circular walk along with a variety of supplementary routes, new woodland, tree belts and hedgerows, new pasture fields for informal recreation, cattle grazing and creation of wildflower meadow, a community orchard, a noise bund alongside the A22 to mitigate traffic noise and a car park for visitors comprising 28 spaces accessed via Horsted Pond Lane.”
Flood risk assessed
The report states the majority of the site is within a zone described as Flood Zone 1, “where the annual probability of flooding is 1 in 1000 years or less.
“Either side of the Ridgewood Stream are areas of Flood Zone 2 (land assessed as having between a 1 in 100 and 1 in 1,000 annual probability of river flooding and Flood Zone 3 (land assessed as having a 1 in 100 or greater annual probability of river flooding”.
It notes there is a pond in the central portion of the main site and the Ridgewood Stream, which is a tributary of the River Uck, forms much of the western boundary of the main site.
Read more:
Uckfield 1,000 homes plan now with Wealden council
Uckfield 1,000 homes location ‘most sustainable’
Shops and pub envisaged on homes site
SANGS area would cover 73 acres
Full details of the planning application on the Wealden Council website