Full access to Ecclesbourne Glen in Hastings Country Park will finally be restored with the reopening of the main footpath later this year. But according to Save Ecclesbourne Glen group, the failure to investigate the causes of the landslip will make future monitoring of land stability more difficult. Report by Nick Terdre, photos by Russell Jacobs.
Open debate and argument about the legal and other merits of a case is part of the planning process. That’s the theory anyway. Hastings Borough Council (HBC) has other ideas. Bernard McGinley reports on recent changes, including a surprise development.
Hastings Borough Council’s record in dealing with the Bunker in Rocklands caravan park is not one to be proud of, involving as it does years of evasion and failure to engage with complaints. Now it is claiming the non-existence of documents that tangibly exist, as Chris Hurrell of Save Ecclesbourne Glen makes clear.
The Rocklands mess does not get better. The caravan park’s current retrospective planning application for the Bunker uglifying the Country Park doesn’t mention the Bunker balcony extension put in after the Planning Inspector’s decision to forbid it. Hastings Borough Council (HBC) doesn’t mention it either, and has shelved its enforcement enquiry pending hearing of the application. Years after this controversy started, it remains all not good enough. Report and photos by Bernard McGinley.
With its latest planning application, Rocklands Caravan Park is seeking to go round (or supersede) the Planning Inspector’s decision regarding the notorious ‘Bunker’ beside Hastings Country Park. Will Hastings Borough Council (HBC) require remeasurement of the misshapen building before deciding on the application, to know what it’s dealing with? What about the other works on site? Bernard McGinley tries to find out, again.
Rocklands Caravan Park and controversy seem to be inseparable bedfellows. Can Rocklands ever be a good neighbour to Hastings Country Park? It’s not impossible. But there’s no sign of it yet, as Bernard McGinley (a Friend of the Country Park) finds as he looks into the latest breaches of planning permission, and calls for firm action by the council.
HOT is run by volunteers but has overheads for hosting and web development. Support HOT!
Advertise your business or your event on HOT for as little as £20 per month
Find out more…
If you like HOT and want to keep it sustainable, please Donate via PayPal, it’s easy!
Do you want to write, proofread, edit listings or help sell advertising? then contact us
