Petition started by councillors to stop 'overdevelopment' in Newhaven

The petition – titled ‘No to Harbour Heights’ – was started by councillor Sean MacLeod, after plans for a sustainable new community of 400 homes was proposed for the site north of Court Farm Road.

Councillor MacLeod wrote on Facebook: “While the arguments for and against housing in Newhaven will continue to rage, the destruction of Harbour Heights, a very important area of natural beauty, isn’t something we can support.

“The area is home to endangered species such as skylarks and also home to other wildlife. It’s next to site that is recognised by UNESCO and a designated area of scientific special interest.”

Real estate company Savills announced at the end of last year it was launching a community consultation for the Harbour Heights proposals.

Under their proposals, the industrial estate would be redeveloped with a mixture of homes, shops, employment space, and new community facilities.

The land to its west, which has also been allocated for development, would be used to provide the rest of the housing along with a large open public space for the enjoyment of all, known as Shell Park.

However, the Liberal Democrats says with more than 1000 homes already planned for building, Newhaven’s infrastructure is already struggling to cope, calling the Harbour Heights plans a ‘development too many’ for the the town.

The party claim NHS and local public services are unable to deal with the current level of demand and say children in Newhaven are being sent out-of-area schools due to the lack of spaces in the local education network.

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Councillor MacLeod said: “This isn’t a case of being nimby. If it was we would have campaigned against the tone of other developments Newhaven has faced.

“We feel as a party there is just to much to loose from this development and we want to see it removed from the local plan and this development rejected.”

A public consultation drop-in session will be held by Savills on Wednesday, January 18, between 3-7pm at The Hillcrest Centre.

In addition, a virtual exhibition will be available for comment until January 25.