Eastbourne councillors call for action to reduce flood risks in Langney

Councillor Alan Shuttleworth's motion asks that planning officers start work on the next phase of the Local Plan by consulting on the area next to the Pevensey Levels flood plains.

He said: "The fields closest to our Borough boundary are currently totally flooded and the flood risk spreads well into the built-up area.

"To even consider building on this land would be madness and would lead to even more flooding of the area that is already built on."

Preparations for the Local Plan have reached a stage where a detailed assessment of sites will lead to recommendations on whether building is appropriate.

Councillor Shuttleworth added that the Goverment’s housing targets are ‘unrealistic’ and ‘take no account of local circumstances’, with the town being surrounded by sea, downland and flood plains. He previously ‘raised serious concerns’ in response to the Government’s wish for 738 homes to be built in Eastbourne each year.

County Councillor David Tutt said: "We need housing development, but in the right locations. The Local Plan needs to exclude sites which are a high flood risk from housing development.

"The Government needs to take action to ensure that housing is built on the many sites within the built environment that already have planning permission.

"Further, they need to provide the promised ‘affordable housing grant’ to enable the development of the Bedfordwell Road site to commence."