CONVERTED STABLES - Part of the Lime Park estate that once belonged to the Baron von Roemer, and his son, Charles de Roemer, this nice stable square has been converted to residential accommodation, the subject of a dispute under the Party Wall Act 1996, that was revealed in June of 2022, when the owner of this property failed to serve notice as to intended works.

After Peter Townley passed on 22nd September 2019, his daughter Alison Deshayes, put the property on the market, post grant of probate on 7th January 2020. There was a veritable scramble of viewings following the advertisement by Campbells, estate agents based in Battle, East Sussex, offers in excess of £750,000 pounds.

But none of the prospective purchasers could overcome the looming devaluation from the prospective development of 70 houses at Lime Cross. It transpired that developers had been seeking to purchase the half share of a pond, through which they wanted to pass contaminated surface water, thence onto a Site of Special and Scientific Interest (SSSI), known as the Pevensey Levels. That would make the sellers of any part of the pond, party to a potential criminal offence, should contamination harm the SSSI. As, inevitably, it would, without a long-term management scheme - assuming filtration beds might be employed as a cleansing mechanism to begin with in the short term - to enable the developers to proceed, and presumably to then either declare insolvency or otherwise wind their companies up, as alleged. Unfortunately, filter ponds soon clog and are known not to be able to deal with hydrocarbons. Hence, at this time such proposal is more of a ruse to obtain profit from buildings that could not lawfully be built. Falling foul of the Fraud Act 2006, we suspect.

Obviously, with large sums of money (£70,000) being bandied about, Alison Deshayes, was keen to explore the prospect of another dollop of cash, on top of her £1,000,000 million plus inheritance. She tried to make it a condition of sale for the prospective purchasers, but all of them declined, alerted to the potential criminal liability aspect. We assume partly because of this, and partly because of the proposed seventy houses, around half a dozen or so scouting Lime Park for a home, or investment, declined to purchase.

One can imagine the loss of amenity from 70 houses skirting the perimeter of your garden. Then there is the loss of wildlife in the pond, should anyone be hard-nosed enough to take the cash, despite the Wildlife Regulations implications and potential criminality, or vicarious liability.

Two prospective purchasers came to the fore in the form of Jill Finn and Nigel Flood. To their credit, they did not contemplate selling their half share in the first of two ponds.

In 2022, the owner/occupiers of The Rectory, applied for planning permission under WD/2022/0479/F, withdrawing that application but proceeding to build more or less that shown in that application, without the benefit of planning permission. Not that unauthorized development is unlawful. It is just a curious fact that having applied for consent, that it should be withdrawn, with the construction allegedly drawn by Sam Finnis of Vector Planning and Design Limited, being undertaken by Christian Perez and Advance Space Building & Design Limited (allegedly).

The potting shed is seen here with a corrugated iron roof, painted an orangey-pink colour by Peter Townley. This shed was demolished by the present occupiers, with Advance Space acting on behalf of their clients. The demolition took place without notice. Note, this picture was taken some time ago.

Access to Neighbouring Land Act 1992

Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979

Criminal Damage Act 1971

Fraud Act 2006

Party Wall Act 1996

Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990

Prescription Act 1832

LINKS & REFERENCE

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11628865/officers

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11628865/filing-history