LETTER: More emphasis on local firms

Multi-national house builders build houses where it is most profitable for them to build, in essence, they tell home buyers where they will live, Councils rationale therefore has a duty to change in favour of their communities rather than to 'suck up' to the multi-nationals whom can hold councils to ransom as they try to achieve their Government targets and quotas as set out in their respective local plans.

More emphasis must be given to the smaller local builder who sees the need of the local communities, has the land to build on, albeit brownfield or in some cases as their councils have done in the past, on low quality greenfield areas, as in Lewes for instance where it is shown there is a dire local need, rather than reject these “Windfall Sites” (as and when due process is allowed to happen through planning applications without the need to appeal) which should be treated as a bonus for councils to achieve their quotas, they are routinely rejected or invalidated, in favour of multi-national plans for enormous urbanisations as in the case of the; North Street Quarter some 400 plus houses, Malling Farm some 200 plus houses, and Peacehaven some 300 plus houses, in all cases areas identified by the powers that be, with little thought to the infrastructure, areas in question, sustainability, flooding, ecology, transport infra structure roads etc schools dentists, doctors, parking the list goes on, to suggest that the muti-nationals will sort these problems out later is at the bequest of the builder for profit and in defiance of the general public whom now demand a better deal and not over priced “rabbit hutches” to live in and raise a family.

The aim of council thinking and rationale must surely change to ensure homes are built where people want to live, in and around the communities they grew up in, and near to their parents, if necessity is the mother of invention, then Council need to re-invent themselves to the needs of the people in their communities, that pay their Council Taxes, and thus the wages and pensions of the Councils employees. Councils including the SDNPA must wake up to the fact they work for and are paid by the people whom make up our great nation, not the multi-nationals whom are interested only in profit for the few, not quality of life for the many.

Ronald Moore

King Henry’s Rd, Lewes