Labour's house-building pledge: Sussex will 'pay the price'

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.

Ms Reeves, in her first speech on Monday (July 8), said: “I am taking immediate action to deliver this government’s mission to kickstart economic growth. And to take the urgent steps necessary to build the infrastructure that we need, including one and a half million homes over the next five years.

“The system needs a new signal. This is that signal.

“If we are to put growth at the centre of our planning system, that means changes not only to the system itself, but to the way that ministers use our powers for direct intervention. The Deputy Prime Minister will also write to Local Planning Authorities alongside the National Planning Policy Framework consultation, making clear what will now be expected of them.

"[This includes] universal coverage of local plans, and reviews of greenbelt boundaries. These will prioritise Brownfield and grey belt land for development to meet housing targets where needed.

“Our golden rules will make sure the development this frees up will allow us to deliver thousands of the affordable homes too, including more for social rent.

“Sixth, as well as unlocking new housing, we will also reform the planning system to deliver the infrastructure that our country needs.

“Be in no doubt – we are going to get Britain building again. We are going to get Britain’s economy growing again. And there is no time to waste.”

Andrew Griffith, who was re-elected as the Conservative MP of Arundel and South Downs, said Labour’s plans ‘run contrary to the bottom-up housing delivery’ through neighbourhood and local plans.

The MP said the new government are expected to establish an independent taskforce to identity the sites for several new towns. ‘One of the first battles’ he fought after being first elected in 2019 was to ‘stand up for residents to see off the proposed Mayfield Market Towns 10,000 houses’ – a new town on the edge of Henfield.

Mr Griffith said: “Rural communities and nature will pay the price for Labour’s command and control approach to planning. The truth is that it was always Labour run urban councils who failed to build their fair share and missed their targets whilst developers use top down targets as a weapon to override democratic local decision making.

"Today’s change will not of itself build one extra home in London with its abundant facilities and infrastructure. But it will certainly jeopardise green fields and communities across West Sussex.”

John ​​​​Milne, Lib Dem, made history by becoming the MP of Horsham. The town now has a non-Conservative MP for the first time since 1880.

Responding to Labour’s plans, Mr Milne said: “The first thing to say is that Labour at least seem energised to face the problem, which is an upgrade on the state of paralysis which gripped the previous Conservative government.

"However, what we’ve heard so far are good intentions but without enough detail. The reason why new housing lacks infrastructure is that the power to build the necessary schools, clinics and roads lies with central government, not the local planning authority.

"If Labour are going to change this, why don’t they say so?

"They state they will restore mandatory housebuilding targets. But the truth is they never went away. Local targets are set by the Standard Method, a rigid mathematical formula which has little to do with actual housing need. For example, Horsham’s target is currently 917 a year. Again, if Labour mean to change this, why don’t they say so?

"I’m more encouraged by the emphasis on increased social housing provision, which is a key Lib Dem policy. And I also support removing unnecessary obstacles to onshore renewable energy projects, which is an essential step if we’re to have any chance of meeting our net zero ambitions.

“However the most challenging question of all is the bit that’s missing. How do Labour expect to get local consent for large scale development? We’re no closer to being able to answer that.”

Siân Berry became the new MP for Brighton Pavilion in the General Election. The former co-leader of the Green Party succeeded Caroline Lucas.

The newly elected MP said: "There is a crisis in housing, but Labour’s plan isn’t getting to the heart of the problem, which is the need for more housing working people can actually afford. Greens want to hold down rents in the private sector, and as an MP I will push the Labour government to allow local authorities to do this.

"And we need to create more new social housing by cancelling the right to buy and helping councils themselves both build more council homes and buy existing homes to put to use within weeks not wait years for the private sector to do what it has failed to do for decades already.

“In Brighton Pavilion the housing crisis is at breaking point, and simply setting new targets to build more homes in the private sector won’t help quickly enough. Rents are soaring and too many people I have met during the campaign are living in damp, cold and mouldy homes.

"I will be pushing ministers to invest in existing housing as well as reducing costs and getting funding to councils to increase their housing stock. In terms of local plans and targets, we need an approach that is led by local authorities and local people, who really want to find the land for new housing and can be trusted to do so without being given targets from above.”

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

On this subject, Siân Berry added: “The Green Party is committed to the fastest possible transition to sustainable energy.

"We need to ensure new wind farms are built both offshore and onshore around Sussex, and we need to take communities with us and have them lead on their creation and ownership. Local people should directly benefit from onshore wind, so we would like to see this infrastructure being community owned and supporting local economic sustainability through community wealth building.”