FRESH plans for nine self-build housing plots near Hailsham have been submitted after an earlier scheme for five larger plots failed to attract buyers.
Cross Stone Properties Ltd is seeking outline planning permission for land between Robin Post Lane and the A22. Wealden District Council opened public consultation on the application on September 29.
The site previously secured outline permission for five larger self-build plots in 2021, following an application by a different developer. That consent expired in April this year.
Cross Stone Properties says the revised proposal would offer smaller plots to improve affordability and appeal to prospective self-builders.
In a statement submitted with the application, a spokesman said: “Despite an active and sustained marketing campaign, the plots failed to attract buyers and the outline consent time expired in April 2026.”
The developer attributes the lack of interest to limited demand for homes of the size previously proposed in this location.
It says dividing the site into nine smaller plots would create a more viable scheme that responds to local housing needs while maintaining its quality and character.
Public consultation is due to close on October 30, one day before new national rules governing which planning applications can be decided by councillor committees are due to take effect.
Under the new national scheme of delegation, applications for developments of fewer than 10 homes must be determined by planning officers without going before a committee.
Planning officers also decided the earlier application in 2021. Those proposals attracted 18 objections from residents, with concerns including flooding, highway safety and the potential impact on wildlife.
East Sussex Highways raised concerns about the site’s accessibility at that time, but concluded the proposals could be made acceptable through planning conditions.
The current application can be viewed on Wealden District Council’s planning website under reference WD/2026/1814/O.
