PickleWatch

Wealden District Council

Cllr Roy Galley, Planning Committee Chair - "We are delighted with [the announcement regional spatial strategies will be scrapped] from the Secretary of State as we have very strongly been opposed to the South East Plan figure of 11,000 houses that were required to be developed within Wealden. This Council has consistently expressed its objections to such a figure as being unsustainable within a district which has such a high number of environmental constraints and limited infrastructure capacity.

Councillor Galley has confirmed that he will be writing to the Secretary of State to request more details as soon as possible and the Council awaits with interest the further announcements promised in Eric Pickles' letter.

"It will take some time to carefully consider the implications of this statement but we will do this as quickly as possible ... Most importantly we welcome the opportunity it appears to offer in allowing us to develop a long term plan for Wealden which more clearly meets the needs and aspirations of our local communities."