Town planners voted unanimously to reject plans by George Wimpey to build houses, apartments with car parking on the eight acre site near the District General Hospital with an access road on to Kings Drive.

More than 100 protesters packed in to the Town Hall on Tuesday night as members of Eastbourne Borough Council's planning committee voted on whether to accept the plans or throw them out.

Planning officer Kevin Hillson said while the site had been designated for housing in the borough plan, the design of the housing development would not relate well to the surrounding area and would lead to an increase in traffic hazards in both Kings Drive and the Rodmill Roundabout, both of which are already congested and troublespots.

The recommendation before the committee was to refuse planning permission and more than 300 people from neighbouring roads including Kings Drive, Kings Avenue and Burton Road wrote in lodging their objections.

Speaking at the meeting, Ken Hutchison from Burton Road said, "140 homes will equal 500 extra people crossing the road to schools, shops and buses and extra traffic."

Rob Daines, also from Burton Road, said he feared for the safety of parents walking with their children to nearby St Thomas a Becket infant and junior school.

"I walk with my daughter to school along Kings Drive and the traffic is already bumper to bumper and gridlocked. More traffic leads to more danger for the children."

Other residents spoke of flooding fears, protected species and important archaeological sites in the area. People from Kings Avenue added their protests that their road could become a rat run and accident blackspot.

Councillors were unanimous in their opposition to the scheme.
Sovereign Liberal Democrat Michael Bloom said, "It is a magnificent view to see sheep and cows in the middle of the borough."

Old Town Lib Dem Caroline Heaps said, "I am concerned that ambulances and emergency services are not going to be able to get around that roundabout in time and in cases of cardiac arrest or a baby coming, that could be a real problem."

After the meeting Conservative councillors who ran a campaign, Graham Marsden and Colin Belsey, said they were delighted.

Councillor Belsey said, "I am delighted with the result and thank all the Rodmill Estate residents who supported the refusal of this application and voiced it so well at the meeting."

Liberal Democrat councillor Alex Hough, who also campaigned against the development, said she was pleased at the committee's decision and would try to reverse the status of the site as an area designated for housing before another plan could be submitted.

"The designation is 30 years old and should be past its sell-by date," said Cllr Hough. "It's still owned by the Chatsworth Estate, whose aims are hopefully to maintain the uniqueness of Eastbourne.

"For now at least, visitors to Eastbourne will be greeted by a vista that has been untouched, even by a plough, for centuries."