Fears that Southwater Neighbourhood Plan could lead to more housing in the village

A referendum on the plan is to be held on May 6 and members of the Keep Southwater Green group say they fear that if villagers vote ‘Yes’ to the plan it is likely that more housebuilding will go ahead in the area.

They say that a ‘Yes’ vote will not only approve the Plan’s policy to allow up to 450 homes to be built on Great House Farmland “but are likely to be seen by Horsham District Council planners as implicitly endorsing the Local Plan Review proposal (from Berkeley Homes) for 800 more on what is left.”

They also say that planning policy stipulates that the sizes of the new homes ‘should be in accordance with the latest evidence on the required housing mix’ ie. smaller 1-3-bedroom units rather than the larger ‘excutive’-style homes evident on Berkeley’s Broadacres development, it cannot guarantee that these would actually be delivered.’

They point out that when the local planning authority does require compliance, developers “frequently appeal to the Planning Inspectorate - and win.”