LETTER: Publish the first housing strategy

The quotes from Cllr Ray Dawe raised a number of questions about many issues but I thought that one was of particular interest bearing in mind the decision that will be taken on the 30th April 2014.

If I understand the position correctly, two possible housing strategies were put to the Conservative Group on the 24th June 2013 and the second scenario was chosen as the Preferred Strategy.

The first scenario seems to have been discarded and never presented to the full council or the general public for consideration.

Surely this cannot be right? It should have been the council which decided which of the two strategies should have been chosen or even if an alternative strategy should have been developed.

Since the Preferred Strategy was published for consultation, two different groups have put forward their alternative strategies for consideration by the council but both have been discounted on the grounds that, ‘we’ve already considered that’. This may be true but we don’t know as we haven’t seen the one discarded in secret.

I believe that it would be sensible for the council to put the first possible housing strategy scenario, which was not considered by the council, within the background documents on its website.

If we can see what was rejected, this must make it easier for the council to sell its chosen scenario for the future of Horsham District to the electorate.

What’s there to fear in doing this? It must make sense.

DAVID MOORE

Chairman, Horsham Society, Swindon Road, Horsham