Homes are approved for Alfriston site

April 22, 2024

Seven homes are to be built on the edge of a historic village as a disused farmstead is redeveloped.

The National Park Authority’s Planning Committee voted to approve plans for a residential development in King’s Ride, Alfriston.

The site is located at the western end of the East Sussex village and directly abuts the South Downs Way.

The supporting structure of a former grain store building is being retained and renovated to create six new homes over two floors. A seventh two-storey detached house is being built towards the southern boundary of the site, while 11 car parking spaces will be provided within two new single-storey buildings.

The development will include two new affordable homes, as well as a number of climate-friendly features, including a 56 per cent improvement on Dwelling Emission Rate and a number of Passivhaus principles, including improved thermal bridges and triple glazing. The development will include the creation of new hedgerow habitat.

Philippa Smyth, Principal Planning Officer, said: “These plans make good use of a disused site that’s allocated for housing in the South Downs Local Plan and within the defined settlement policy boundary of Alfriston.

“We’ve worked very closely with the developers from an early stage to ensure the final plans are landscape-led and have a strong emphasis on design.

“The development embraces the site’s character through reusing structures and simple, well-suited material choices. With simple spatial design of soft and hard landscaping, the site has not been hidden away and its past is clearly understood through the design.

“The redeveloped site will provide an appropriate junction between the village and the open countryside.”