| Herstmonceux [Village] Wealden Local Plan December 1998 |
 map 29 Wealden Local Plan 1998 |
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| Introduction 19.18.1 Herstmonceux lies mainly to the north of the A271 some 4 miles east of Hailsham. The village has a wide range of services and facilities which serve the local community as well as surrounding settlements. The population is estimated at 1,100 persons. 19.18.2 The Council aims to maintain the role of the village as a local service centre, whilst at the same time protecting its residential character and rural setting. Environment 19.18.3 Herstmonceux lies on a low lying ridge on the southern edge of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The surrounding countryside is gently undulating and of high scenic quality. To the south the land falls away to the Pevensey Levels, over which far-reaching views extend. 19.18.4 Post-war housing estates which helped meet the housing demand generated by the Royal Greenwich Observatory at Herstmonceux Castle, have consolidated and extended the historic core of the village situated at the junction of West End and Gardner Street, and along Gardner Street to the east. Here, a number of buildings are listed as being of special architectural or historic interest. |
Development Boundary (continued) 19.18.7 Existing housing on the western side of the village provides a well defined limit of development, while to the south the development boundary tightly follows the rear of existing frontage development, cutting through the curtilages of larger properties to restrict backland development to the south, which would be unacceptable for environmental, amenity and access reasons. The open space contained by housing on Fiennes Road and Queens Road, although within the development boundary, is considered important to the character of the estate and to residential amenities and should be retained. 19.18.8 To the east of Bagham Lane, the development boundary excludes the large rear curtilages of Braemar and Wallscroft, seeking to prevent any undesirable intrusive backland development. The eastern end of Herstmonceux, along Gardner Street beyond the tight knit core, has been excluded from the development boundary in order to resist intensification which would adversely affect the more spacious character of this visually prominent area. 19.18.9 The compact nature of the existing housing within the village and the rural character of the surrounding area leaves little scope for new housing development other than by redevelopment of existing sites and the conversion of buildings to residential use. |
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| Development Boundary 19.18.5 In order to conserve the character and high quality landscape setting of Herstmonceux, it is considered important to prevent further expansion of the village to the north and west and resist any extension of development along the A271. Consequently, the development boundary is drawn tightly around existing development. 19.18.6 To the north of the village, the attractive, open countryside of acknowledged landscape importance warrants protection from development. Also, two parcels of land, to the north of West End and to the rear of James Avenue, which are omitted from the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, have similar landscape value and are important to the rural setting of West End and James Avenue. Development within these areas is therefore also resisted. The Countryside Commission have agreed to examine these two parcels of land at a future review of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. |
Traffic 19.18.10 The A271 carries a great deal of through traffic, including commercial vehicles. Due to on-street parking, traffic congestion is often a problem within the village. There is one public car park in the village which is well used. Even so, concerns about parking problems in the village remain. At present, East Sussex County Council, as Highway Authority, has no traffic management schemes currently scheduled for this stretch of road. Services 19.18.11 Local shops and services are boosted by tourist attractions in the
village and the surrounding area. These and other businesses are important providers of
employment and assist the vitality of the village. While it is recognised that for
environmental reasons there are no new significant employment opportunities in the
village, the Council would resist the loss of commercial uses and encourage suitable
expansion consistent with amenity considerations. |
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