Wealden District Council has been granted planning permission to build a new waste vehicle depot and ground-mounted photovoltaic array at Knights Farm Employment Park in Lower Dicker.
What was approved
On Thursday 23 July the council's majors planning committee approved the authority's own application to replace its existing depot in Amberstone with a purpose-built facility. The scheme would provide a vehicle workshop, administrative offices and crew facilities occupying about 1,668.5 square metres, with a maximum ridge height of nine metres. The site would also include hardstanding for refuse vehicles and car parking for staff, together with a ground-mounted solar panel array.
Why the council says it is needed
The council’s planning agent, James Guthrie of Quod, told the committee the Amberstone depot dated from the 1950s and was no longer fit for purpose. He said the new works would deliver “very critical new public infrastructure for the council” and would accommodate an expanded fleet and new vehicles needed for statutory services such as separate food waste collections.
“This [development] will deliver some very critical new public infrastructure for the council,”
Concerns raised and technical assessment
Objectors raised a number of issues during the application. Arlington Parish Council warned that waste vehicles might use Coldharbour Road as a cut-through, arguing the route is unsuitable for heavier traffic. Concerns were also expressed about flood risk, landscape impact and the scheme’s precise location.
Council planning officers said their recommendation for approval followed an extensive technical assessment covering highways, flood risk and drainage, landscape and visual impact, ecology, arboriculture, heritage, residential amenity and climate change. They reported that responsible authorities raised no objections, subject to planning conditions and a Section 106 Agreement to secure necessary highway obligations. Hellingly Parish Council, which represents the immediate area where the development would be built, did not object.
What the development would include
- Vehicle workshop and maintenance space
- Administrative offices and crew facilities (approx. 1,668.5 sq m)
- Hardstanding for refuse vehicles and staff car park
- Ground-mounted photovoltaic solar array
The planning permission marks a step towards modernising the council’s operational base for waste collection. Officers say the new depot is intended to support changes to the service, including the deployment of additional vehicles for statutory collections.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Floorspace | Approximately 1,668.5 sq m |
| Maximum ridge height | 9 metres |
| Main features | Workshop, offices, crew facilities, hardstanding, solar array |
Next steps include satisfying planning conditions and the legal agreement relating to highways before the council can begin construction. Residents concerned about traffic or flood risk should monitor further publications from Wealden District Council for details on timescales and mitigations.
This decision affects residents and businesses around Lower Dicker and the wider Wealden area by altering local waste operations and the routing of service vehicles. It is a material change from the mid-20th century Amberstone depot and part of the council’s broader operational planning.
