Eton College has sparked anger by unveiling controversial plans to build a new town over unspoilt countryside.
Modelled on King Charles’s designer town of Poundbury in Dorset, the North Barnes Farm development will see 3,250 houses built to form a new rural community.
But the site earmarked for the huge development is 60 miles away from the prestigious private school in Berkshire.
It is on 450 acres of greenbelt land next to the sleepy hamlet of East Chiltington, East Sussex, which Eton speculatively bought several years ago.
If allowed to happen, the huge development would “wipe out” the rural parish, which would increase in population by 15 times, taking it from 400 to 6,000.
It would also swallow up the two other neighbouring villages, thus creating a ‘sprawling’ new town of over 10,000 residents, it is claimed.
The site is also on the edge of the heavily protected and highly sensitive South Downs National Park.
There are concerns the development would destroy wildlife habitats as well as bring pollution to the area through increased traffic and congestion.
The Eton scheme chimes with the government’s proposals announcement last week to relax planning laws to allow new homes to be built on undeveloped land close to train stations.
East Chiltington is two miles from the larger village of Plumpton, which has a station.
It is the second time Eton has tried to develop the land.
In 2021 they unveiled similar proposals but were thwarted by local planners who omitted it from its draft Local Plan as they recognised East Chiltington as one of the few remaining undeveloped areas of East Sussex.
However, it is claimed that Eton is now hoping the government’s plans to fast-track new homes will boost its chances of going ahead.
Steve Needham, who is leading the protest group Don’t Urbanise the Downs, said: “The greenfield site is much used and loved by people from far and wide.
“It is productive farmland, crossed by footpaths, bridleways and narrow lanes lined by ancient hedgerows and trees supporting rare wildlife.
“Right next to the South Downs National Park, it must be conserved for future generations.
“Blighting this countryside will serve only to swell Eton’s already well-lined coffers.
“This ill-considered scheme would bring millions of more car journeys each year, adding to road chaos in the surrounding area – which is already gridlocked at key junctions on a daily basis.
“The roads here aren’t built for it. They are all B roads and single-track lanes with passing places.
“East Chiltington has barely changed in 1,000 years in terms of development. It has a population of about 400. It would be wiped out by this.
“It will also consume the villages of Plumpton Green and South Chailey, creating a sprawling new town of some 10,000-plus people.
“Water resources are already depleted and subject to hosepipe bans; the system simply won’t cope.
“I think Eton must feel encouraged by the government announcement.
“They are saying because we have a railway station nearby this scheme fits the government criteria for new housing bit it is too far away and it doesn’t have enough services to make it viable.
“I believe Eton are looking to run the development like Poundbury in Dorset and are modelling it on that as a long term project so we are talking about decades of building work.
James MacCleary, the Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes, has also voiced his objection to the proposed development.
He said: “Any development would urbanise a unique part of the South Downs. It’s a totally inappropriate site, completely lacking in the necessary infrastructure.
“The environmental impact is also very worrying – on animal life and biodiversity. But the most frightening thing about it is the traffic generation and carbon impact of all those additional vehicles.”
Welbeck Land, the developers working alongside landowners Eton, say they will hold an eight-week public consultation for the development.
The first event will take place at Plumpton Racecourse this weekend, but already this is expected to be attended by protesters against the scheme.
But a spokesperson for Welbeck said they hoped to submit a planning application for the first phase of North Barnes Farm by the end of the year.
Alistair Watson, chief executive of Welbeck Land, said the area needs more housing to help bring property prices down.
He said: “Average house prices in Lewes are 9.4 times average local incomes, and rents went up over 6 per cent last year.
“Concentrating new homes and infrastructure in a single location is the best way to meet the area’s needs and can deliver far more benefits than piecemeal development.
“Developable land outside the South Downs National Park is scarce. Brownfield sites alone cannot meet local housing need.
“These plans offer one of best opportunities to create sustainable growth in Lewes district, close to a well-connected rail station.
The North Barnes website boasts the development will be a ‘sustainable community with a central high street at its heart.
There will be land made available to build a new school, nursery and health centre.
There will also be a sports hub and pavilion and new parkland.
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