Planners have ‘abdicated’ responsibility on housing says Rusper Parish Council

In response to Horsham District Council’s draft housing strategy, which is currently out for public consultation until October, the parish is holding an exhibition at Rusper Village Hall on Saturday September 21 from 10am-4pm where residents can view HDC’s plans and the parish council’s alternative proposal.

HDC’s draft strategy contains plans for 2,500 north of Horsham, including a new business park.

George Sallows, a Rusper parish councillor, said: “The district council has asked the public to take on their role and identify alternatives if this site is not acceptable. Rusper Parish Council feels that the HDC councillors are encouraging the deterioration of the planning department within their offices by not working with their officers to provide reasonable alternatives for discussion.”

He added: “We at Rusper Parish Council feel that HDC planning department have abdicated their responsibilities to a private development company, by adopting the North Horsham proposal as the only recommendation put to the council meeting. Further, the council officers have failed the people of Horsham by failing to debate why this option was selected against other viable alternatives.”