Housing targets in Sussex: 'Worst performers are heavily concentrated in the South East'

This comes as Chancellor Rachel Reeves promised to get 'Britain building again' by imposing high targets and overhauling the planning system.

While residents have consistently called for more affordable homes for local people and developers have said rules like water neutrality are making it increasingly difficult to build – poor roads, a lack of facilities like schools and doctors' surgeries, and a need to protect the county's spectacular environment and its wildlife will ignite a huge debate about the future of the county.

The Telegraph has reported that London's commuter belt and the South East will be ‘home to the biggest fights’, adding: “That is where local NIMBYs [an acronym for the phrase ‘not in my back yard’] are in for the biggest shocks. Under the existing system, housing delivery in local authorities is measured against their local targets.

"Labour plans to force local authorities that are not meeting their targets to accept proposals for development. The worst performers are heavily concentrated in the South East.

“Of the 295 local authorities in England, 76 delivered less than 85pc of their housing targets, meaning they will be expected to ramp up their targets significantly.

“The vast majority of these local authorities that have been falling most short are in the southern commuter belt. Of the 76, 56 were in the South, with 25 in the South East and 14 in the East of England alone.

“In Conservative-held Epping Forest, in 2022, the local authority had delivered just 30pc of the homes in its target plan. In Southend-on-Sea, Hastings, and Worthing – all of which flipped from the Tories to Labour – the authorities had delivered 31pc, 32pc and 33pc respectively.” Click here to read more.

Sussex World has approached all the councils in Sussex for their response to the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s first speech on Monday (July 8) – in which she also made her feelings clear against the de facto ban on new onshore windfarms.

A spokesperson for Chichester District Council said: “We have submitted our Local Plan for examination which we expect to take place later this year. Nevertheless, from what we can see at the moment, the national housing targets to be set by the new government appears to be similar to that of the previous government.

"As a council we welcome greater certainty, but we need to wait to see the detailed proposals. We also understand that the government intends to consult on proposals to reinstate larger scale onshore wind projects as nationally significant infrastructure projects. We will consider our position carefully once the consultation has been published.“

An Adur & Worthing Councils spokesperson said: "Across Adur and Worthing there is a significant shortage of housing. There are around 3,000 local households on our housing waiting lists but there is nowhere near enough of the affordable accommodation that our communities need.

"We are having to house hundreds of families outside the area, away from their friends, relatives, jobs and schools, which damages their quality of life and is very expensive. This increasing demand for support, combined with significant reductions in our central government grant over many years, challenges from inflation and cost of living pressures, is unsustainable and is affecting the way we fund other services.

"We’re working with partners and housebuilders to find creative ways to build more good quality, sustainable affordable homes for those at risk of becoming homeless. Our greenbelt isn't the right place for development, so instead we're encouraging house-building on our derelict or under-used land.

"But we would welcome action from the government that would help us to ensure all our citizens have good, safe and secure homes to live in, and we would be keen to have our voices heard in any discussion on this critical issue."

A spokesperson for Arun District Council said: “The council has recognised what its current housing targets are from the nationally derived Standard Housing Methodology in numerous published reports. See Planning Policy Committee in June 2023.

"The National Planning Policy Framework has never actually included the word ‘mandatory’ in respect of housing targets and it has always allowed a degree of flexibility if exceptional circumstances are agreed. The targets have been published since April 2022 and there is no indication that these are proposed to increase. We will await the consultation on this matter that is promised before the end of July before commenting further.”

A spokesperson for Mid Sussex District Council said: “We have always been committed to high quality plan making and to delivering the identified need for housing in our local area.

"Whilst there has been much discussion about housing targets/quotas our plan is carefully considered to meet the requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework and to ensure our Plan Making balances local need and protecting the unique characteristics of our local area.

"Our early review of the new governments approach on housing numbers does not change the council’s approach and our plan making already delivers the housing targets referred to by the Government.

“With respect to wind farms, the council treats each application on its merits and we await further government announcements on the matter.”

‘Everyone deserves a safe home’

BHT Sussex – a housing association and a homeless charity based in Brighton – is calling for the new Labour government to take urgent steps to tackle the housing crisis, joining the National Housing Federation’s #PlanForHousing campaign.

The campaign calls for a national long-term plan to transform the housing system, and brings together housing associations across the country who want to collaborate with the government to deliver it.

The National Housing Federation have argued that a long-term plan for housing could fix child homelessness and provide the security of a social home for one million more people, as well as improving affordability and boosting productivity, all by 2035. They pointed out that there are many wider socioeconomic benefits to building more social homes, including job creation, better educational outcomes and savings to the NHS.

David Chaffey, Chief Executive at BHT Sussex, said: “We believe that everyone deserves a safe home. Research from Shelter and the NHF has shown that building 90,000 social rented homes would generate 12 billion pounds profit to the taxpayer over 30 years, so the investment makes economic sense, on top of all the other benefits that secure and decent housing brings.

“As well as providing social homes, we run specialist Housing Advice Centres in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings, areas with long social housing waiting lists and a serious lack of affordable housing. Last year our advisers prevented 820 people from becoming homeless, but every day they see the devastating consequences of the housing crisis on people’s lives. We need a long-term plan to transform this country’s housing system, and that’s why we support this campaign.