Warninglid

Introduction

41.1 Warninglid is a small village located at the crossroads of the B2115 (Cuckfield Lane) and Slaugham Lane/The Street, approximately a mile and a half west of the A23 Trunk Road. It is situated on a hill in gently undulating countryside in a particularly attractive part of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The village dates back to Saxon times and later had connections with the medieval iron industry.

41.2 The village contains a number of community and recreation facilities including the Seaforth Hall, a playing field and a church, built in the 1930s. There is also a primary school, isolated from the village approximately half a mile to the north. Although there is still a public house, there are no longer any shops in the village.

Policies and Proposals

Built-up Area Boundary

41.3 A built-up area boundary is defined for Warninglid which seeks to preserve the rural setting of the village and to protect the surrounding countryside from residential development.

Conservation Area

41.4 The Street, which forms the focus of the Conservation Area designated in 1969, contains a number of buildings dating back to the 16th century. Some of these are Listed as being of special architectural or historic interest.

41.5 The following features, in particular, contribute to the character of the Conservation Area:

• the attractiveness of The Street due to the variety in the ages and styles of building;

• the predominant use of traditional and natural building materials eg sandstone, brick, timber and clay roof tiles;

• the traditional style street lamps and road sign directing traffic to adjacent villages/towns;

• the sense of enclosure created by the buildings and the bank, hedges and trees adjacent to The Street; and

• the village pond with an arching sandstone bridge leading to the drive of Lyndhurst Estate, creating a focal point within The Street.

Employment

Fuel Distribution Depot, Colwood Lane

41.6 One of the most significant land uses in the area around Warninglid is the fuel oil and LPG distribution depot in Colwood Lane. This is situated a short distance to the east of the village outside the built-up area boundary, close to the junction of Colwood Lane and Cuckfield Lane. Originally used by coal merchants and haulage and agricultural contractors, the present use commenced in 1970. The use has grown since that time and a number of applications have been submitted for the expansion or rationalisation of the activities on the site. The Council has resisted a number of these proposals on environmental and access grounds, having regard to the location of the site within a particularly attractive part of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the restricted nature of the surrounding road network. However, in 1987 permission was granted on appeal for further facilities to cater for the bulk storage of liquid petroleum gas. This permission was subject to extensive landscaping requirements.

41.7 Due to the environmental and access constraints, any proposals for further development which come forward will be subject to particular scrutiny. The Council will resist proposals where it considers that the development would have a detrimental impact on amenity or would be inappropriate on highway grounds.

WA1 Proposals for the extension or intensification of the use at the fuel distribution depot, Colwood Lane, will be permitted only where the development will have no detrimental impact on the amenities of the locality or in terms of highway safety. Proposals to extend the site beyond its existing boundaries will not be permitted.