This new business and leisure community hub with 144 parking spaces could be built at an East Sussex village on land near old brickworks

Bedford Park Developments Ltd has applied through its agent Dowsett Mayhew Planning Partnership to develop land north of the old brickworks on Station Road to provide a ‘mixed use leisure and commercial park’.

This will include ‘new commercial units, office hub, craft workshops and a wellness/fitness centre’.

People can read the full application at planningpa.lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk/online-applications using the reference number LW/23/0583.

The design and access statement for the Plumpton hub said: “This Design & Access Statement supports a planning application for a proposal for a flexible, sustainable and design-focused local business and leisure/ community hub that includes a café and restaurant, a wellness centre, a number of contemporary mixed use commercial units, smaller units/studios, office hub, cycle facility and associated landscaping. The proposal also includes a number of community facilities such as a community orchard and a community area as well as areas for enhanced biodiversity, vineyards and meadows.”

It said the scheme would retain an existing footpath and would introduce a new footpath from the existing bus stop. The statement also said the scheme would provide appropriate infrastructure for ‘a variety of servicing vehicles’, while also offering appropriate provision for staff, visitor and customer car/cycling parking. It said there would be 126 car parking spaces, of which 15 would be electric vehicle charging points, as well as 18 disabled spaces.

The statement added that the project would use a ‘landscape led’ approach to design, which would include a sustainable drainage system and ‘extensive areas of native planting’.

The design and access statement continued: “The biodiversity of the site will be enhanced and reinforced via vegetation and tree screens around the boundaries of the site as well as introducing new trees and planting areas within the development such as along the central green swathe and within the vineyard. The biodiversity of the site will also be further enhanced by the incorporation of green roofs where practical. Wildlife corridors along the eastern and southern boundaries will be maintained. These measures will ensure that the proposed development will deliver a biodiversity net gain.”

The statement said the appearance of the development would blend into its setting too.