Huge new housebuilding number a ‘huge shock’ for Horsham district

A consultation on reforms to the planning system in England is underway, and unless changed would see the Horsham district’s minimum housing target rise from 920 to 1,715 new homes every year.

The council says it has consistently challenged the Government over housing numbers and its aggressive timetables, but it was clear ministers see construction as a key driver of economic recovery.

Under existing requirements, HDC is in the middle of a local plan review, with the aim of minimising the impact of higher housing numbers, maximising infrastructure benefits and improving biodiversity.

This work has been based on the minimum target of 920 homes a year plus the requirement to contribute to meeting wider needs from neighbouring areas such as Crawley.

For the moment, the council says its intention is to continue with that process pending legal advice on the status of such a plan if new legislation is introduced.

Claire Vickers, cabinet member for planning and development at HDC, said: “We have been trying for a considerable time to get answers from the Government about a number of things as regards the house build numbers that we are required to provide: no answers have been forthcoming. We were hoping for a constructive dialogue.

“To now have proposals that would give us almost the highest house building number in the south east of England was a bolt from the blue. We accept it is, at this stage, only a consultation document but it came as a huge shock.

“We very much hope that as we are a good way through producing a new plan we can continue with that and thus put off for some years the imposition on the District of the sort of completely unattainable housing numbers that have now been proposed.”

The council says it recognises the strong demand for new homes in West Sussex and not having any plan would play into the hands of speculative developers.

The local authority will be taking legal advice before responding formally to the consultation but it does not believe that the house building industry can deliver 1,715 homes per year.

A spokesman said: “It is difficult enough already to find land that has few constraints for development and to absorb 1,715 homes every year would make that task virtually impossible.”

The council is seeking residents’ views so they can be incorporated into its response to government.

Therefore it has setup an online poll for people to vote on whether they agree or disagree with the council’s view on the proposed house build numbers and secondly to give views to help in the response to the Government’s consultation.

To share your views, visit the council’s website.

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