Mid Sussex passes government’s housing delivery test

New homes in Mid Sussex are being built well ahead of schedule, according to government figures.
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Data from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities shows that, between 2018 and 2021, 2,793 homes were delivered across the district.

This was 532 more than the target of 2,261 set as part of the government’s Housing Delivery Test – a score of 124 per cent.

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The test measures how well a planning authority has performed over the last three years by comparing how many homes have been built to how many are needed.

Housebuilding in Burgess Hill (Google Maps - Street View)Housebuilding in Burgess Hill (Google Maps - Street View)
Housebuilding in Burgess Hill (Google Maps - Street View)

Robert Salisbury, cabinet member for housing and planning, said: “A Housing Delivery Test score over 100 per cent does not mean the council has over-allocated housing land.

“It simply demonstrates that developers are delivering new homes ahead of the schedule set out in the adopted District Plan.”

He added: “With many factors at play, the rate of new housebuilding fluctuates year on year.”

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Crawley delivered the highest percentage above target compared to the other local planning authorities in Sussex, with Eastbourne and Worthing falling well short of their targets.

Adur District Council – 77 per cent

Arun District Council – 65 per cent

Brighton & Hove City Council – 136 per cent

Chichester District Council – 136 per cent

Crawley Borough Council – 406 per cent

Eastbourne Borough Council – 32 per cent

Hastings Borough Council – 42 per cent

Horsham District Council – 147 per cent

Lewes District Council – 116 per cent

Mid Sussex District Council – 124 per cent

Rother District Council – 157 per cent

Wealden District Council – 82 per cent

Worthing Borough Council – 35 per cent

Those which failed to meet the Housing Delivery Test targets face sanctions to make up the shortfall.

Adur District Council, for instance, will need to look again at its Local Plan and identify 20 per cent more land for development in order to avoid under-delivering in future.

Others face losing some control over planning decisions.

Any authority which delivered less than 75 per cent of its target will have to consider all planning applications for approval – unless they are deemed unsustainable or would deliver more harm than benefits to the local area.

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This is known as the ‘tilted balance’ and is a part of national planning policy.

The council relies on developers to build the homes for which planning permission was given.

Mr Salisbury said it would only take one slow year for the Housing Delivery Test score to fall below 100 per cent.

He added: “Problems only arise if there aren’t enough homes being built each year to meet the council’s housing requirement.

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“This would lead to a score below 100 per cent, at which point the government imposes a range of measures, some of which could result in more homes being built in the long-term – and clearly this is something we’re keen to avoid.”