14 homes for business site?

Early notice of the proposal was given to the town council's planning sub-committee meeting in January but the plan has only just been submitted to Wealden District Council which will make the decision on whether to allow it to go ahead.

If permission is given Mr Steven Neilly, a director of Neilly-Smith Architecture, said the aim would be to start work almost immediately with the houses ready for sale by summer 2004.

But first he has to convince the district that a change of use from industrial to residential should be allowed. He has support from nearby residents and his company has carried out a survey of available commercial space in the vicinity of Uckfield.

'Taking into account the Ashdown Business Park at Maresfield there is 450,000 sq ft of commercial space available. The 11,600 sq ft Friday Ad building would not be missed,' said Mr Neilly, whose company is acting as agent for the Clearwater Building Company, of Bell Lane, Uckfield.

He said the building was derelict and if the site was to have a commercial future the premises would have to be demolished and the site be re-designed and re-structured. 'We have looked into that but it is not actually commercially viable. Working with the owners we have considered all aspects, commercial and residential, and ended up favouring a residential scheme which is backed by the needs of the town and the restrictions of the locality,' said Mr Neilly.

Developing this brown field site would mean that 14 fewer houses would have to be built on a greenfield site, added Mr Neilly, and it would fulfill a need in Uckfield for three bedroom homes.