One important aspect of the Community Land Trust’s progress, which we will cover at the 2026 AGM, is our potential involvement in Bellway’s proposed development of the old Thakeham mushroom farm site (DC/26/0266).
We hope to see you at the AGM at 8pm on 24 of September at Thakeham Village Hall but recognise that not everyone will be able to attend, so we wanted to update all current and potential members on this significant development.
Bellway has offered CCLT a small plot of land near the entrance to the site, conditional upon HDC granting planning permission for its proposals. The Steering Committee concluded that, should the development be approved, it would be better for CCLT to be involved so that some of the new homes are genuinely affordable social housing for people currently living in the parishes comprising CCLT’s area of interest.
We are working in partnership with Action in Rural Sussex (AiRS), with the intention that Bellway would build six homes for CCLT at cost: four two-bedroom and two three-bedroom properties.
We had also asked for the land West of the public right of way (PROW) to be leased to CCLT to be run as a nature park in conjunction with Sussex Wildlife Trust. Instead, Bellway offered part of this land to Thakeham Parish Council, subject to Bellway retaining the biodiversity net gain from the land and the Parish Council not objecting to its development proposals. Bellway are retaining the right to submit a potential future planning application to build 85 further homes to the West of the PROW at a later date.
At its extraordinary meeting on 15th of September, Thakeham Parish Council voted by a majority to submit no objection to the scheme.
Individual CCLT members remain free to make their own representations on the planning application. Please note the current closing date for the receipt of public comments on the HDC Planning Portal is 23rd of September.