Settlement Spatial Plan Consultation Survey

Why “Future Westfield”?

With national housing targets increasing and Rother District Council preparing its new Local Plan, development pressure is growing. Rather than wait for things to happen to us, we want to shape what happens for us. To do this, we’re using a process called Scenario Planning — a structured way to think about different possible futures for Westfield and decide how best to plan for them.

Settlement Spatial Plan Consultation Survey – Fill out form

What It Is

Scenario Planning helps us explore several possible futures instead of assuming there’s just one outcome. It allows residents to:

• Identify the key forces of change such as housing need, transport, local services and population trends.

• Imagine different types of growth – small expansions, compact village growth or more dispersed development.

• Develop strategies that work across multiple possible futures.

This approach will help us:

  • Create a long-term vision for Westfield over the next 20 years.
  • Test options for a Neighbourhood Plan.
  • Strengthen our responses to the Rother Local Plan consultations.
  • Make informed planning decisions in the meantime.
Why Now?

The Parish Council knows more homes will be built.  However, residents want the right growth, in the right places, with the right infrastructure. The Parish Council’s aims are to keep on working to safeguard Westfield from inappropriate development, plan proactively so growth supports local needs.

Your Role

This project relies on local voices. The scenarios that will be presented are not fixed plans, they are ideas to test and discuss.

Over the next few months there will be online consultations asking residents:

  • Which growth options feel most appropriate.
  • Suggest alternative sites or priorities.
  • Highlight infrastructure, traffic or environmental issues that matter to you.

All scenarios show low-to-medium growth levels — higher growth simply isn’t realistic for our parish. The focus is on location and quality of development rather than numbers.

How It Links with Other Projects

The Future Westfield work connects directly with the Transport, Community Hub, and Biodiversity projects.  Better transport planning supports sustainable development, a Community Hub could serve a growing population, and protecting biodiversity ensures growth respects and supports the wildlife and biodiversity within the Parish.

Further Background

Back in the 2019 Rother District Council Development and Site Allocations Local Plan Westfield Parish was allocated to have 89 houses to built around the village area.  These were allocated via the following sites:

  • WES1 Land at Westfield Down, Westfield 39 – Full 39 properties have been built
  • WES2 Land at the former Moorhurst Care Home, Westfield 40 – Planning has now been given for a 64 bed care home which counts in planning as 36 properties
  • WES3 Land south-east of Goulds Drive, Westfield – Undeveloped

This means of the three sites two have been developed and Westfield Parish has achieved:

  • A physical build out of 39 of the 89 housing target. 
  • Planning permission has been given for the equivalent of 36 properties (Moorhurst 64 bed care home) and another 20 on Cottage Lane which was given on land not allocated in the 2019 DaSA.  The position of Cottage Lane remains unclear but that is potentially another 56 houses that have received planning permission.
  • Only land south east of Goulds Drive remain undeveloped with a potential 10 houses.