Mountfield - an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

The Public Inquiry into East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Council's joint Waste Local Plan has now reported.  

The Government Planning Inspector has said Mountfield site should be deleted from the Waste Local Plan and that Pebsham and Ashdown Brickworks should be retained.

The Council has issued a press release and promised to make the entire report available on the Internet within a few days.   View full Press Release  

The plan, which would have permitted a waste plant and incinerator to be built at Mountfield, was fiercely opposed by campaigners for the Mountfield Heritage Group, who organized several days of evidence at the Public Inquiry into the plan which took place during 2003.

A spokesperson for the Mountfield Heritage Group said "This is obviously excellent news for Mountfield.  But we will have to wait and see the whole of the Inspector's report.  We cannot rest our campaign until Mountfield is actually taken out of the Waste Local Plan."  

With a key part of its plan rejected by the Inspector, the councils now have the task of producing a new plan  - a process which could take up to 6 months.  

The new plan then has to be voted on by the Council - who could in theory reject it.  In the worst case scenario there could even have to be another Public Inquiry.  But this is not expected to happen.  The Mountfield Heritage Group spokesman said: "The councils now need to get a move on by producing a plan which clearly meets the Inspector's criticisms.  If they do not do so, they could be in dereliction of their duty to produce a viable Waste Local Plan."

A full analysis of the Inspector's report will be posted on this web site when it is available.