Horntye cricket ground under threat with dwellings
The latest outline planning application, HS/OA/23/00802 to change the use of the cricket facilities at Horntye Park into an area for dwellings is described in the Design & Sustainability Statement. The document below refers to the Bohemia Ice House, there is no mention of whether any of the 101 proposed dwellings in this outline application would be affordable.
Homes at Horntye Park - Built upon the Cricket Pitch
The plan below shows the existing cricket ground and all weather playing area in relation to Summerfields Woods local nature reserve and the new Bohemy Fields development of houses (Optivo) can be seen to the north of the courts and police buildings.
THE DETAILS SHOWN BELOW ARE FROM AN APPLICATION IN 2008 TO BUILD ON THE CRICKET GROUND
Horntye Sports Centre Development - New Homes
In 2008 Bohemia Village Voice, Issue 60, published details of a proposed development that would place three blocks of housing on the perimeter of the Horntye Sports Centre. The Horntye Park website offers some history on how Hastings with its town centre cricket ground lost a unique asset and in a £50 Million development with Boots achieved a shopping centre where it was claimed tourists would come to Hastings to shop. Hastings Borough Council provided an alternative site for cricket at Horntye and the town centre ground was bulldozed for the Priory Meadow retail development.
Using land that was provided by Hastings Borough Council for cricket and sport the Horntye Park trustees have now decided to increase their income by allowing the construction of homes around the perimeter of the cricket ground. An application for three blocks of homes was duly approved by the Hastings Planning Board with the advantage of a Section 106 agreement requiring the developer to pay for improvements to the environment including public transport and for Summerfields Wood.
A condition within the permissions required work to commence within three years and many people would think that the permission granted was now out of date. A legal agreement has now been signed but work has not commenced and it seems likely a new application will emerge in future years with greater density and more development area that could eventually completely encircle the cricket playing area. (These comments made almost 10 years ago did not take into account a culture to abandon all open sport and turn the entire site to housing.)
Other concerns during this planning application spoke of the precedent of building on open space used for leisure with fears of more buildings on adjacent sites. In 2015 these fears have been proved to be correct as HBC has been unable to resist the urge to build on other remaining parts of Summerfields that have not been declared as part of the local nature reserve. See the Register Office Homes & Travelodge & Homes pages for the latest proposals that will reduce the open space available. The document below dated 24th June 2013 is the legal document that supported the Section 106 agreement for a contribution from the developer. HBC has taken a view to waive any requirement for section 106 contribution if there is a large enough affordable/social housing element.
Using land that was provided by Hastings Borough Council for cricket and sport the Horntye Park trustees have now decided to increase their income by allowing the construction of homes around the perimeter of the cricket ground. An application for three blocks of homes was duly approved by the Hastings Planning Board with the advantage of a Section 106 agreement requiring the developer to pay for improvements to the environment including public transport and for Summerfields Wood.
A condition within the permissions required work to commence within three years and many people would think that the permission granted was now out of date. A legal agreement has now been signed but work has not commenced and it seems likely a new application will emerge in future years with greater density and more development area that could eventually completely encircle the cricket playing area. (These comments made almost 10 years ago did not take into account a culture to abandon all open sport and turn the entire site to housing.)
Other concerns during this planning application spoke of the precedent of building on open space used for leisure with fears of more buildings on adjacent sites. In 2015 these fears have been proved to be correct as HBC has been unable to resist the urge to build on other remaining parts of Summerfields that have not been declared as part of the local nature reserve. See the Register Office Homes & Travelodge & Homes pages for the latest proposals that will reduce the open space available. The document below dated 24th June 2013 is the legal document that supported the Section 106 agreement for a contribution from the developer. HBC has taken a view to waive any requirement for section 106 contribution if there is a large enough affordable/social housing element.