WHAT FOLLOWS GROWTH? Living with a lower population.

We should stop developers putting in planning applications. The Local Councils should find the sites for new homes, then invite the developers to tender for the job to build what is needed, and not what they want to sell.

We need two things: The company of others and our own space.

On new estates we are overcrowded while being isolated.

I would suggest creating developments that would see people of all ages living within one community. Within the building designs in this document there would be a nursery for the children within the building, a setting for elderly people, office space for suitable businesses and light industry units close to the homes but far enough away so as not to become too noisy, and saving traffic congestion.

With technology we have created the need to employ less people in every industry.

The Government believes the way is more renting homes. But, rents never end. When those paying rents retire, their pensions won't cover the rents, especially private rents. The state will be paying out billions in housing benefits.

One should not have to pay a mortgage or rent after one becomes pension age, and that should not be beyond 66 years.

I would recommend cap development land equivalent to 100 years from farming each acre of land. Build homes as in the enclosed plan. Using British steel as a frame off ground to save flooding, with module homes they could be sold at cost, while only be sold back to the Trust, not onto the market.

Developers have a lot to answer for regarding the issues we are now experiencing.

Make countries as self-sufficient as possible, less global trade, that causes global pollution.

And make countries better so people don’t want to leave home in the first place.

The following pages would solve many of our problems.

I remember cleaning out the buildings by hand.

Gravity fed water from the pond.

Backed buckets of water from a water tank to the cattle in the buildings.

And the cows were cleaned out by hand each day in the winter time.

We had little square bales to pitch onto a trailer, now they have the big bales with lifting equipment,

These building are now houses, but it is a family using them so it's a cosy arrangement.

We would go to the Heathfield Agricultural Show, in the sixties, where there would be several firms where farmers could purchase equipment and repair them. And the corn merchants were Bibby's, Silcocks, Warburton's, Jenner and Simpson, Jenner and Nigg's, Cats, Scats, Dann’s & Hodson’s.

Over the years we have seen those small businesses close-down and the sites sold for housing. There is still Shaw's in Cowbeech, but if that closes, I believe there is just one in Robertsbridge.

We have also lost the cattle markets that were part of the farming community and recently the local Abattoir.



This is something we should not be experiencing, for the well-being of village life & the farming communities.

In the 60s,70s & 80s most villages had football, cricket and Stoolball teams, with leagues and tournaments, with the small farms and businesses losing their places, and houses becoming unaffordable to those still in the villages we are seeing the decline in the villages as we used to know them.

Visit www.theplanetandpeoplecoalition.co.uk see heading the history of village life.

This was taken in 1953, by a chap about to start working for the Sussex Express. A few years ago I tried to see if the man who took this photograph was still around, so put an advert in the Sussex Express. A lady did contact me, she said she had worked with him in the Sussex Express company, he died in a care home age 98. It would have been great to have visited him to say do you remember taking this photo?



One can see why our parents and grandparents were worn out by time they were aged 50. Here you can see the wagon with loose hay on the load, it was hard work! Harvesting would have been with a binder, with sheaves, then stacking onto the wagons, the corn stacks were then thatched, then later on, the thrashing machine would come with the team of men to thrash the corn out, with heavy sacks of corn to back often up granary stairs.

It was a mixed farm with about 22 milking cows.

Our milk went to the Mayfield dairy.

We reared calves with the milk and supplied two cattle a fortnight for two shops in Old Town Bexhill and in Sidley Street.

My Father did an egg and potato round in Bexhill, and vegetables, when available from the garden. He did it with a horse and trap. I carried on delivering by car from 1965 to 1979 (I had purchased a property in Netherfield with large greenhouses, a few years before 1979).

But losing the farm meant not having enough land to grow a verity of vegetable crops and we could not have free range eggs. A few years later I sold the greenhouses in Netherfield.

The cows we had would produce up to 1,000 gallons a year, and live 12/14 years, but today, with hybrid breeding, they can produce 3,000 gallons, and many only live for four lactations.

Farming has become big business, rather than kindness to the animals.

I was asked once what I thought agriculture land was worth?

I said if you wanted to farm it, it would be expensive if it was given to you?

I remember taking this photograph - There is so much in it with the background Thorn Den, its relaxing with sheep, cattle and corn in the distance.

I had rented some land at Buck Steep in Boodle Street Green and worked for the family there. There was about 350 acres on the farm. I used the land at Water Mill. 

I always remember having ewes lambing there. One night I went to see if any of them were lambing. It was a bright moonlight night, and in the valley there was a nightingale singing.

It was an amazing tune to listen to coming from such a small bird. I remember standing by the gate seeing the sheep and listening to the nightingale singing. 

Once farmers changed to making silage, they would cut the green grass much earlier, so the seeds would still be green so they would not fall onto the land. The laying birds' eggs will be broken with the machinery passing over them, while the laying birds will fly off.

With the now big bales that can stay out in the fields longer, it would be better for the environment to make hay again.

With the Nation experiencing more flooding and droughts, we should become self-sufficient and not rely on importing our food supply.

Visit www.theplanetandpeoplecoalition.co.uk see heading The History of Village life.

We need to consider policies to maintain the farming communities and village life. 1,700 farms have been lost since 2010. Food security is not on the political agenda; it should be a priority.

Over the years we have seen many hedges removed from the fields and ditches that used to take the surplus water filled in, hence wetter fields, coupled with environmental policies not cleaning the main rivers has caused flooding of the land.

New housing developments should now be built as suggested in this document, where one can have solar panels along the roofs and underground water tanks to save the water for the Summer months to use on the gardens to feed the residents.

These developments need to include vertical growing areas for fresh vegetables to feed the residents.

Developers should not be the ones to apply for planning permissions.

Local Councils should find the sites, then invite developers to tender to build what is needed, and not what they can sell on the market.

Visit www.theplanetandpeoplecoalition.co.uk see headings Think Global Live Local & Why are so many people obsessed with property values?

Isaiah 65 –

People will build houses and live in them themselves. They will not build for another to Inhabit?

I question this buy to let, why should someone pay rent to another and pay off some else's mortgage?



I have been on the homeless campaign for a number of years and one time slept out all night in Worthing for Churches Together.

In Worthing they have somewhere where the homeless can come in for breakfast and a wash.

I raised £600 on the night from my sponsors.

Is it right for one to pay another rent, and in the process pay off someone else’s mortgage?



When the tenant retires the state will be paying billions in Housing Benefit.

While I was on East Sussex County Council I made a suggestion on the Green Paper on Adult Social Care, and was invited by Lord Best to visit the House of Lords to present my ideas. It wasn't in the big chamber, but a committee room with I believe 27 others there.

I put forward the case for Affordable Housing and Care.

I asked if they had one acre of land and farmed it how long would it take to earn £30,000. No one had a clue, I said it would take 100 years.

So cap development land at 100 years farming = £30,000,

Build the homes for £160,000,+ £3,000 for each plot, with services one would still be about £180,000.

After one has paid off the mortgage, one pays into Family Care Plan pot, rather than mortgage. The Family Care Plan would then support any additional needs you may have in later life, rather than burdening the state more than one needs.

I would like to add my thoughts to the debate on farm tax, which I believe needs to be changed. There are farms that have not changed hands for over 100 years; they could have been purchased for £3,000 or even £300. The value has nothing to do with farm income. This is an opportunity to get young people farming on their own account. I would suggest that if someone inherits a farm, and there is no mortgage left to pay, one can presume that it was not the person farming the land who paid for the property but one or more earlier generations. They should pay, say, £50 an acre to the local authority. If we are to have a unity authority in Local Councils, this ‘landtax’ would go a long way to cover the shortfall in finding.

If the owners were to create a new tenancy for all, or part of the holding, for a young farmer, they would not pay the land tax but instead receive an agricultural rent. This would allow new entrants into farming. At the same time, with the cost of equipment and livestock, it’s becoming impossible to start new farming businesses. This also needs support. I suggest the Government could underwrite any loans they need in this case.

We need young farmers, as food security is something our politicians don’t appear to understand. Rewilding is also taking up good land that should be producing food.

Solar farms should be built where salad crops are grown, using see-through solar glass panels which are now available. You can read more on my thoughts at www.theplanetandpeoplecoalition.co.uk see the history of village life.

All Governments have created the destruction of villages, with many cases city gentry purchasing farm houses with land, they modernise the houses, and let the land on a short tern arrangements, so those pay a rent can not plan ahead. Farming is a long term venture.

I recall 22 farms in the Ashburnham Estate producing milk, while in three local villages there were over 60. Now there is one in each village, but the cow numbers are the same, or even more. When we lost a milking herd it was a few cows, now it can be hundreds.

I believe the nicety has gone from farming with livestock.

We remember paying someone 12 / 6 an hour. There were three people working on an 188 acre farm. Today with the minimum wage becoming £12 an hour, three people would cost £1,500 a week, that can't be done on an 188 acre farm today: something has gone wrong!

Properties built which could be 10 units long and 4 units high thus creating 40 Senior Community Housing places, in the community people are already used to living in.

Older people could sell their home to have one of these and then have capital in hand for their retirement.

There is a need for a proper local council care plan, to avoid using private companies who have more debt than assets.

Every village could take 5 acres and use it as follows:

50% open space

2.5 acres at £30,000 = £75,000 and 2.5 acres at agricultural value = £25,000

= £100,000 for a 5 acre site for village homes

Properties built which could be 10 units long and 4 units high thus creating 40 Senior Community Housing places, in the community people are already used to living in. Older people could sell their home to have one of these and then have capital in hand for their retirement.

There is a need for a proper local council care plan, to avoid using private companies who have more debt than assets. 

This style of housing could be built for £150,000.

A design like this could be build 4 or 5 floors high on new developments, housing a large number of families in one community.

New developments need to include vertical growing areas for fresh vegetables to feed the residents, utilising rainwater harvesting for their irrigation.

There should be recreation areas, sports areas and natural habitats for protecting wildlife.

This style of development encourages intergenerational living, increasing everyone's health and wellbeing, which in turn reduces mental health issues, obesity and diabetes.

A child care facility along with an elderly care setting should be within the complex to encourage a reduction in travel needs for already busy lifestyles.

Much of our aging population loneliness and the younger generation’s anti-social behaviour stems from poor housing estate design and lack of affordability

I am a tree, or just a bit of wood,

Here I am where I’ve always stood.

For three hundred years in the corner of this

field, I have seen many a yield.

Life, death and even killed, I have seen.

Hot, cold, young grow old, where I stand in the

corner of the field.

Young men come out with a plough and share,

With scythes they come to gather the crop,

Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot.

At lunch they sat under this tree, talked to their

horse and peed on me.

Those horses then went off to war,

Often went and were seen no more.

Why do humans want to fight?

They kill each other day and night.

I hear the people talk of fear,

Often I would shed a tear.

The tractor came with all its power,

The field was ploughed within the hour.

Fumes come out across the field,

I’m sure it must have damaged the yield.

Nights and days, weeds and sprays,

How I long for those old days.

I had some peace long ago, birds flew high

above,

Lovers came and made their love, in the corner

of the field.

Now heavy tractors do the work.

Combines cut the corn, big bales stay out til

dawn.

It’s enough to make this old tree yawn.

This tree has seen the young grow old,

Boys were young and then were old.

Later were seen working on the land,

Now they come to hold my hand.

They talk as if they’ve been here forever,

but I know those men are not so clever.

Now I see roofs coming near

I stand here now with some fear.

A man came the other day,

He said that I was in the way.

A road could be coming through this part,

As a factory now he wants to start.

Those humans seem to rush and tear,

While I have only just stood here and stared.

If only they could think of me,

As just an old oak tree.

You may say of this old tree,

You have never moved or seen any life.

But I have seen a lot of strain and stress.

As the sun comes up in the morning

And goes down in the west,

I can remember lots of jest.

The birds sing through the day

The larks through the night.

There is sometimes sorrow

As I wait for another tomorrow.

Flowers blossom in the day,

That’s only if there’s been no spray.

I have seen it all from here, where I stand.

I don’t need a helping hand.

But if I really had a wish that could come true,

Do you know what I would do?

I would say to those men and women who rush

about,

Stop and think what it’s all about.

They are all chasing something called money,

It’s very sad, and often funny.

While I eat and drink, life comes to me,

Stop and look through the eyes of a tree.

I shall still be here when they have gone,

Providing the planners don’t have their say,

And if the new houses don’t come this way.

The biggest fear I have for myself

Is the human race will destroy itself....

Laurence Keeley