Eastbourne’s housing targets are ‘absurd’, says councillor

Councillor Robert Smart said the 2021 census figures show that over the 10 years since the previous census, the town’s population increased by 2.3 per cent.

He added: “This is a fraction of the projected increase (7.7 per cent over 10 years) used to create current housing targets (an 11 per cent increase over 10 years)”.

Councillor Smart said he has written to Greg Clark, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to highlight Eastbourne’s case.

The Conservative councillor said he criticised the town’s Liberal Democrat administration for ‘the significant delay in presenting a local plan for discussion with the planning inspectorate”.

In a letter to MP Greg Clark Councillor Smart said: “For the past several years, without an agreed local plan, planning applications have been made under the completely false premiss that Eastbourne does not have a five-year land supply.

“Planning officers, understandably, and the planning inspectorate have mistakenly treated this as a material consideration to favour developments.

"The whole planning scenario would be transformed if realistic targets were in place.

"Perversely, the 2014-based population projections currently in use carry the following caveat from the Office for National Statistics: they ‘do not take account of the ability of an area to accommodate any extra accommodation’.”

Councillor Smart said the physical constraints of the sea, South Downs National Park, the Pevensey flood plain and the boundary with Wealden are not taken into consideration.

Eastbourne Borough Council (EBC) leader David Tutt said: “With regard to the housing targets, this is an issue on which Councillor Smart and I agree, as he knows I have frequently referred to them as ‘bonkers’.

"Whilst the town does require some new housing, the extent of this should be determined locally. His comment about where the blame for the target lies is however totally unjust.

"The cross-party committee of the council that considers the local plan has always agreed on the way forward.

"The housing targets which are set solely by government have been rightly criticised by many councils in the south east of England. If they were to be enforced upon us they would have a devastating effect upon many parts of the town that I believe local residents wish to see protected.

"We will continue to lobby government to change these figures and any influence that Councillor Smart can bring to bear upon the new Prime Minister in this regard would be very welcome.”

Eastbourne MP Caroline Ansell said: “EBC has never built anywhere near the number of homes identified under any formula to identify our local housing need.

“The current requirement sits at 675 new homes per annum. The actual number of homes built in Eastbourne is around 200 per annum.

“The best way to manage house building numbers is through the creation of the local plan. That local plan is in the hands of EBC. I support local determination.

“For my part, I am lobbying for reform on empty homes, action on mothballed planning permissions and a VAT change which levels up conversion and renovation with demolition and new build.

“There’s no doubt that we need more homes in our town and we need to be innovative about it as the council has over 1.000 on its waiting list.”