The East Sussex Council Planning Committee met on Wednesday 17 September 2025, and approved an extension to the hours of working at Fisher's Wharf in Newhaven, and the retrospective use of land for waste processing at Hole Farm in Westfield. Councillor Philip Lunn, Deputy Chair of the committee, took the chair for the meeting.

Hole Farm, Westfield - RR/899/CM

The committee unanimously approved a planning application for the retrospective use of land at Hole Farm in Westfield for the importation, deposit, storage and processing for recycling and recovery of skip waste. The application by EcoSkip Waste & Recycling Ltd, also included the construction of new concrete hardstanding and storage bays.

The site already had permission for waste management, but the introduction of skips and household waste was a new waste stream. The proposal seeks permission to change the site layout, install an extended new hardstanding area, surface water drainage scheme, erection of storage bays and installation of additional machinery. The site will continue to have a throughput of 10,000 tonnes of material per annum, which will be screened and sorted for onward recycling and recovery. It is understood that of this, a maximum of 500 tonnes per annum will comprise of incidental items which may be classed as commercial, industrial and household waste.

Four letters of objection were received from neighbouring residents, raising concerns about:

• Traffic related impacts
• The location of a waste recycling facility in the High Weald National Landscape¹
• Increases in noise and dust pollution
• Visual impacts of stacked skips, stockpiles and diggers

The committee report Committee Report for RR-899-CM noted that the site is within the High Weald National Landscape, with Maplehurst Wood Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)² about 90 metres distant. To mitigate any potentially negative impacts on the local landscape character and environment, the applicant has proposed a planting plan and landscape management plan.

The committee resolved to grant planning permission subject to 31 conditions, including that:

• The development must be commenced within three years.
• The development must be carried out in accordance with the approved plans and documents.
• The applicant is required to submit a timetable for the implementation of the approved plans and documents.
• Prior to the use of the concrete pad area, a 30,000l sealed tank must be installed.
• The site can only be used for the purposes identified in the planning application.
• The site must operate in accordance with the details contained within the Odour Management Plan.
• Any waste items classified as household waste must be stored in a designated skip.
• Waste management activities can only be undertaken during specified hours.
• No crushing or screening can take place outside of the hours of 09.00 - 16.00 on Mondays to Fridays.
• The tool store and office/welfare unit must be constructed of white coloured metal containers.
• The fencing panels and interlocking concrete blocks must be coloured Dark Green (RAL 6005).
• Only machinery or equipment permitted under this application can be used at the site.
• Material stored within the bays must not exceed the 2.4m height of these bays.
• Marker posts must be erected to identify the 6 metre materials height limit.
• Fuel, oil, lubricant and other potential pollutants must be handled in a manner to prevent pollution.
• No more than 40 daily vehicle movements will be permitted at the site.
• A designated vehicle washdown and inspection area must be installed.
• The approved Dust and Emissions Management Plan must be implemented in full.
• A parking area must be provided.
• Vehicle turning spaces must remain clear and free of obstruction.
• The noise rating level emitted from the site must not exceed specified levels.
• Any noise mitigation measures recommended in the approved Noise Impact Assessment must be implemented.
• The operational noise rating level must be no more than +5dB above background noise levels.
• An independent noise survey must be submitted within 3 months of the site becoming fully operational.
• Further details relating to drainage must be submitted prior to the use of the extended concrete pad.
• Details of the approved surface water drainage scheme must be implemented in full no later than 3 months following the date of planning permission being granted.
• A maintenance and management plan for the drainage system must be submitted for approval.
• The details contained within the approved Landscape Specification and Management Plan and Planting Proposals Plan must be implemented.
• No materials or equipment can be stored within 2 metres of the site boundaries.
• Specifications and proposed locations of bird and bat boxes must be submitted.
• No artificial external lighting can be installed without written approval.

Fisher's Wharf, Newhaven Port - LW/896/CM

The committee approved the variation of condition 3 of planning permission LW/799/CM(EIA) to extend the hours of working at Fisher's Wharf, East Quay, Newhaven Port, Newhaven.

The applicant, Brett Aggregates Limited, requested to extend the hours of working from 07:00 -18:00 on Mondays to Fridays to 07:00-20:00, and from 07:00-13:00 on Saturdays to 07:00 – 17:00 for processing activities only. There were no proposed changes to the hours in which the loading of train wagons with aggregate material will take place, nor were there any proposed change to works taking place on Sundays or Public Bank Holidays, which will remain unpermitted.

The committee report Committee Report for LW-896-CM noted that Lewes District Council objected to the proposal on the grounds of noise pollution. Councillor James MacCleary (Newhaven and Bishopstone) also objected, stating that it will be disruptive, not necessary for the viability of the business and detrimental to the quality of life of local residents.

The committee resolved to grant planning permission subject to 11 conditions, including that:

1. The development hereby permitted shall be commenced before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.
2. The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the drawings and documents listed in the Schedule of Approved Plans as referenced under planning application LW/799/CM (EIA).
3. The site shall not be used for the development hereby permitted other than between the hours of 07.00 - 20.00 on Mondays to Fridays inclusive and 07.00 - 17.00 on Saturdays, except for the loading of train wagons with aggregate material, which shall take place between the hours of 06.00 - 20.00 on Mondays to Saturdays inclusive, excluding on Bank and Public Holidays. There shall be no activities outside these times except in an emergency or unless otherwise agreed in writing with the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.
4. The movement of vehicles associated with the use hereby approved shall not take place except via the Newhaven port access road (McKinlay Way) to the east of the site. No such vehicles shall use the port access via Railway Road, Clifton Road and Beach Road, unless for reasons of an emergency.
5. All activities associated with operations permitted under application LW/799/CM(EIA) and details hereby approved regarding the extension of permitted processing hours, shall be carried out in accordance with The Operational Travel Plan approved under application LW/799/CM(EIA). The operational travel plan shall be implemented in accordance with the approved details.
6. All activities associated with operations permitted under application LW/799/CM(EIA) and details hereby approved regarding the extension of permitted processing hours, shall be carried out in accordance with the Dust Mitigation Scheme approved under application LW/799/CM(EIA). The dust mitigation scheme shall be implemented in accordance with the approved details.
7. External lighting at the site shall be in accordance with details approved on 30 August 2018 under Condition 10 of LW/799/CM(EIA). No additional external lighting shall be installed on the site unless otherwise submitted to and agreed in writing by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.
8. All activities associated with operations permitted under application LW/799/CM(EIA) and details hereby approved regarding the extension of permitted processing hours, shall be carried out in accordance with The Noise Management Plan approved under application LW/799/CM(EIA). The noise management plan shall be implemented in accordance with the approved details.
9. The noise rating level from the site shall at all times not exceed the measured background noise level at the nearest noise sensitive receptors at The Hope Inn, Newhaven Marina and Marine Drive, as shown at Appendix B in the Noise Assessment Report (ref. 4598), dated 12 October 2017, by WBM Acoustic Consultants, as measured in accordance with BS 4142:2014.
10. The applicant shall notify the County Planning Authority of the commencement of the permitted extended hours. Within one month of the start of the permitted extended operating hours a noise monitoring assessment will be carried out by a suitably qualified independent 3rd party acoustic consultant, following recognised good practice, to determine compliance with condition 9 and a report submitted in writing to the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport. The report shall:

*   a) demonstrate whether the noise levels required by condition 9 are being achieved;
*   b) if the survey does not demonstrate such compliance the report must include measures to reduce noise, which shall first be agreed in writing by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport, such that the noise levels required by condition 9 will be met;
*   c) These measures shall be implemented within a time period to be agreed by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport, and compliance shall be demonstrated by a further noise survey, which must be submitted to and agreed in writing by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport within a further 3 months of the measures being implemented.

1. The Flood Risk Management measures, including proposed mitigation, as set out in Section 8.0 of the Water Environment and Flood Risk Assessment report by SLR Consulting Limited, dated October 2017 and approved under Permission LW/700/CM(EIA) shall be carried out as part of the development. The measures shall be fully implemented and subsequently maintained throughout the duration of the development.