Recently, Government imposed higher housing targets on local councils, with Rother District Council asked to build 912 homes per year.
With more than 80 per cent of the district falling within the High Weald National Landscape, the new target is extremely challenging and we are having to explore all options in an attempt to meet it.
Our draft Local Plan, the blueprint for how Rother could develop and change up to 2042, is going to be key to ensuring that we can build the homes that people need whilst ensuring any development brings benefits to our towns and villages.
The draft plan, which provides for 8,427 new homes across the district, is currently out for consultation and members of the public have until Monday, March 23. I would encourage as many people as possible to share their views at Draft Local Plan 2025-2042 – Rother District Council and help us ensure our district continues to thrive.
With these challenging housing targets on the horizon, I was delighted to hear the news that the former Northeye prison site in Bexhill, previously purchased by the Home Office with the aim of transforming it into temporary accommodation for asylum seekers, has been transferred to Homes England.
The move means the desire to regenerate the site and deliver much-needed new homes is close to becoming a reality. The site was allocated for housing in our 2019 Local Plan and remains in our current draft Local Plan.
I am delighted that Homes England has vowed to work with Rother District Council, community groups, and local residents to shape the proposals and ensure the development works for the town and the district as a whole.
I look forward to hearing more about the plans and working with Homes England to make the best use of this site and ease some of the burden the Government’s updated housing targets places on the district.
I hope that the Northeye site can be as successful as the Blackfriars site in Battle. For many years, Rother District Council has worked hard to realise the potential of this site.
Funding from Homes England helped get the project off the ground and I am delighted to say that the first show home on the Tapestry development was officially opened last week.
Hosted by Rother DC Housing Company, the event marked a major milestone with house-hunters now able to see the high quality, eco-efficient homes that will be available in the new development, which can be seen at Tapestry Life, Battle | 3 and 4 bed new homes Battle
Only through partnership working between Rother DC Housing Company, Rother District Council, Places for People and Greymoor Construction, have we been able to get to this stage and I am extremely grateful for their determination.
Having already been named best housing development in the UK at the Inside Housing Development Awards, the scheme’s contractor was recently given and Local Authority Building Control Site Recognition Award for the quality of the site-wide workmanship and management of the scheme. Further evidence of the quality of the new homes.
It shows how much we can achieve when we work together for the good of our district.
Ends
Published: 6th March 2026
