These are the four sites being put forward for major housing developments in the Horsham district

Four proposed strategic allocations in yellow and numbered. 1) east of Billingshurst 2) Buck Barn 3) west of Ifield 4) west of Southwater

They are recommending a new housing target of 1,100 homes per year to meet the district’s own requirements as well as some of Crawley’s unmet needs.

A ‘stepped trajectory’ is proposed with a housing target of 900 homes in the first five years of the plan, rising to 1,180 homes per year for the remaining 12 years.

Officers are recommending four new strategic housing allocations over the plan period: 3,250 homes west of Ifield, 2,100 homes at Buck Barn, 1,200 homes west of Southwater and 650 homes east of Billingshurst

Although proposals at Buck Barn are for a settlement of around 3,000 homes, officers said the total quantum of this development could not be delivered in the plan period.

In a cabinet report they describe how the approach has been to focus the highest levels of development on the largest settlements such as Horsham, Southwater and Billingshurst ‘as far as this is possible’.

But in order to meet the government’s housing target, a new settlement ‘has also been identified as being necessary’.

The existing North Horsham allocation is seen as having the capacity for another 500 homes.

Smaller allocations equating to at least 2,200 homes are identified in a number of other villages and towns in the district.

Officers’ recommendations for the latest version of the local plan review is due to be discussed by HDC’s cabinet next Thursday (July 15).

If agreed by cabinet, the document would go to full council and then be published for a six-week period of public representation before being submitted to the planning inspector for an independent examination.

With Rookwood announced as out of the running earlier today, this means the other major sites not to have been included are Mayfield’s scheme for a new market town, Our Place’s proposals for a new settlement Adversane and a site west of Billingshurst.

What do you think? Send your letters to [email protected]

To read our explainer about what a local plan is, click here.