Meeting backs housing plan

The majority of people at a meeting of the town forum on Tuesday night wanted to see that site developed rather than land at Bird in Eye and Harlands farms.

Not one hand was raised in support of building 500 new homes at Bird in Eye.

Mr Arthur Firth, 64, of Harcourt Road, said Downlands Farm would not be missed because 'people don't even know it's there'.

On the other hand, he said, farmer Ken Berry had always allowed people to go on to his Bird in Eye Farm. 'I learned to swim in the river on his property and we were allowed to fish there and use the fields.'

But a plea to safeguard Downlands Farm for future generations came from town councillor Dr Martyn Stenning.

The land should have been included in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and if it was destroyed it could never be regained. It accommodated an 'incredibly rich habitat' of flora and fauna.

Dr Stenning said: 'If these habitats are fragmented by this proposal we will get to the point where we will have local extinctions taking place. Animals and plants will disappear. Is this something our generation should pass on to the next or not?'

But experts assembled by the Clarence Preston Will Trust said they were taking account of the nature of the area.

Mr Jonanthan Clay said the proposal was effectively being led by environmental, landscape and ecological consultants and landscape architect Mr Philip Russell-Vick said: 'We believe that the north-west offers a reasonably good opportunity for development if you start from the premise that Uckfield has to expect significant development.'