Government house-building plans could see Horsham required to build 22,000 extra homes

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Government proposals to increase house-building across the country could see an extra 22,000 homes having to be built in Horsham.

Horsham District Council, under the new proposals, would be required to increase housebuilding by 41 per cent from 917 new homes a year to 1,294 – amounting to an extra 21,998 houses by 2040.

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Horsham could also face having to build extra homes for neighbouring authorities under a ‘duty to co-operate.’

The council says it has provided a detailed response to the Government over its proposals which, if implemented, would mean the council having to immediately draw up a new Local Plan despite recently completing one. But the council maintains that this would be ‘counter productive’ because of water neutrality issues.

If Government proposals on building more houses across the country go ahead, Horsham would be required to build 41 per cent more houses every yearIf Government proposals on building more houses across the country go ahead, Horsham would be required to build 41 per cent more houses every year
If Government proposals on building more houses across the country go ahead, Horsham would be required to build 41 per cent more houses every year

A council spokesperson said: "If enacted, the proposals would apply any future review of the local plan. However, at the current time our ability to deliver development has been severely limited by the requirement for development to demonstrate that it is water neutral. "Our understanding is that the water neutrality issue will persist in the short and medium term. Therefore our response to the Government states that the requirement for an immediate review would be counter-productive as water neutrality will not be resolved by a review of the Local Plan, but ultimately, by actions taken by the water industry.”

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In 2021, Natural England advised that all new development in the Arun Valley area – which includes Horsham – must be water neutral thereby not increasing the amount of water taken from drinking water supplies.

The countryside charity CPRE is also concerned about the Government proposals. Sussex trustee Dr Roger Smith, in a report, says: “The reforms would leave councils and communities with little or no control over development.”

He also points out that it is developers/housebuilders who decide the rate of building and they will not build more houses than can be sold at an acceptable-to-them profit.

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“In the event of reducing sales, as in an economic downturn, they will adjust completion rates downwards, resulting in undersupply against local-plan target,” he says.

Horsham District Council, in its response to the Government consultation, also points out problems in enforcing building by developers. It says: “We recognise that the Government has an aspiration to increase housebuilding nationally and thus for councils to allocate and approve housing at increased rates.

"Though we accept that changes will be needed in planning policy to achieve the Government’s ambition, without measures to enforce the build out of sites by the development industry, we do not think the ambitions will be realised.

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"Our view is that Government does need to address systemic issues in the development sector that mean that sites don’t come forward quickly when permissions are obtained – and this is not recognised in the consultation.”

In his report, Dr Smith adds: “Forcing councils to allocate sites that are not included in the local plan will not increase build rates in a falling market and will result in piecemeal unplanned development and overstretched infrastructure.”

He said the Government incorrectly blamed NIMBYS for housing shortfalls even though developers reduce build-rates to maintain profit margins, ‘and a million homes approved since 2015 have yet to be built.’

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