Steven and Liz Pearce bought their house in Westmeston, a few miles west of Lewes, East Sussex, just before the South Downs became a national park. They are highlighted that the village is protected from development.
Just a few miles away, on a 5,000-acre parcel of land owned by Eton College, developers want to build a new town of up to 3,250 homes. The proposals, first announced in 2021, were rejected in October last year by planners.
“The Government has some serious objectives to meet when it comes to building new housing,” said Mr Pearce. “It seems to happen so often without adequate investment in local infrastructure such as schools and services. “We’re lucky we don’t have to worry about that happening here.”
Their five-bedroom house, with its red-brick and decorative tile-hung elevations, was originally a pair of farm cottages which were then extended during the Victorian era. There are views up to the South Downs from the triple-aspect main bedroom.
“It’s big enough so we haven’t had to enter into any battles with the planners,” said Liz.
“The bonus of living here has been the fact that we open the back door and head straight up into the Downs,” added Steve, who uses the rolling hills as a training ground for running marathons.
