Horstedpond Farm, Uckfield

This website shows our ideas for opening up large areas of presently private open space to public use, with new walkable routes, new trees and landscaping, biodiversity enhancements and drainage ponds. The Masterplan for the development highlights the potential for the creation of linked areas of open space that together have the characteristics of a SANG. The present close relationship with the Millennium Green represents a great opportunity to provide complimentary space that will also connect with Horsted Green Park via proposed green routes through the new development taking place at Ridgewood Park.

Castlefort Homes’ application to Wealden District Council is for outline planning permission. This means that the detailed design of individual homes will be fixed at a later stage of the process. The key design principles will be informed by the work currently taking place. A Design and Access Statement and a separate Planning Statement accompany the application alongside a comprehensive suite of technical surveys and assessments.

Open Space and Design

Castlefort Homes proposals for Land at Horstedpond Farm will incorporate a variety of house types and tenures including 35% affordable homes. The proposals seek to provide residents with an enjoyable and natural green space with a network of paths running alongside the Ridgewood Stream. Extensive landscaping is envisaged throughout the scheme and existing trees and hedgerows will be retained.

Open spaces will be predominantly located along the northern boundaries of the site alongside the Ridgewood Stream. These proposals wish to make this open space accessible to all and with this in mind new local connections to the Millennium Green to create a circular walking route are proposed. This green walking route is intended to create what is termed a Site of Alterative Natural Greenspace (SANG) which will be available to new and existing residents. The proposed routes will also enable a walkable connection to the Ridgewood Recreation area and Uckfield where community amenities are accessible.

The new homes will be interspersed among green corridors and tree-line streets to allow for a density of development which is sympathetic to the character of the locality.

Castlefort Homes is committed to delivering a new community which will make a valuable contribution to increasing biodiversity, sustainable and active transport options, as well as the amount of affordable housing to local residents in need in Uckfield and Wealden.

Castlefort Homes have been in discussions with Wealden District Council over several months, with the aim of getting Horstedpond Farm allocated in the emerging local plan.

However, in July 2022, Wealden District Council announced they will be delaying the Draft Local Plan until uncertainty at the national government level regarding housing delivery targets is resolved. We believe the Castlefort proposals for Horstedpond Farm are in a location, and of a quality, that surpasses other proposals in the area that have started to come forward, and we think it important that if there is to be a local debate about what, if any, development should be brought forward our site should be included in that debate.

We have therefore taken the decision to finalise our work on the proposals and submitted an application in August 2022.

If you have any feedback or questions about the plans, please do not hesitate to get in touch.