Brighton MP’s comments about new towns at Plumpton and Ringmer spark outrage from local politicians and campaigners

Lloyd Russell-Moyle, MP for Kemp Town, was speaking on the BBC Politics Show South East on Sunday. He echoed Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer’s call for the next generation of new towns.

And he hit at local opposition saying: “You have to say to local people there are certain parameters you can influence but some things need to be done. The disaster of HS2 was because Britain allowed a NIMBY charter to rule. Sometimes we have to say, I'm sorry, but there is a greater good here.”

His comments provoked fury among local councillors, a prospective MP and campaign groups. The Lewes Liberal Democrat candidate for the next General Election, James Macleary said: “We have spent the last few years trying to resist the Conservatives imposing their top-down housing policies on our area and it is pretty depressing to hear a local Labour MP pushing the same agenda. Villages like Ringmer have faced a blizzard of planning applications thanks to the government's free-for-all for developers.

“The so-called ‘Eton New Town’ proposal at North Barnes Farm in East Chiltington is not a suitable site for thousands of new homes while the next door village of Plumpton Green is already taking more than its fair share of housing. These are rural locations with little major infrastructure. For Lloyd Russell-Moyle to dismiss the well informed and evidence-based objections of local residents by calling them NIMBYs is just offensive, and shows how little he knows about our area.”

He said: “Any future sites for new towns across the country need to be carefully planned, not thrown around randomly.”

Lewes District Councillor for Ouse Valley & Ringmer (Green Party) Emily O’Brien said: “As a Councillor for Ringmer, where many residents are already devastated at greenfield development forced on them against their wishes, the wishes of our local planning committees and the guidance of a relatively recent local plan, I was simply stunned by these comments. Our planning system is already broken. The answers do not include foisting new towns on communities which don’t want them – it’s just adding insult to injury.”

Marc Munier, from Don't Urbanise the Downs, campaigning against development at East Chiltington and Plumpton, said the Eton proposal is ‘a barmy scheme’.

He said: “Had he (Lloyd Russell-Moyle) bothered to check he would know that over 99 per cent of respondents to the issues and options consultation rejected the idea of a new town in the district.”

Marc said affordable housing is needed but only where there is infrastructure and jobs. He said: “Anyone without a financial interest in this barmy scheme will see it is a totally inappropriate place to build at any scale. It lacks any infrastructure with transport and water. Even electricity pylons would need to be extensively upgraded damaging the South Downs National park.”

MP for Ringmer and Plumpton Maria Caulfield said: “Having this week received the great news that we have seen off the Gleesons development in Ringmer, this is a real slap in the face for all those supporting the Don’t Urbanise the Downs campaign who like myself are passionate about protecting our green spaces.”