Sir,

Intimidation of Councils and communities by Government and overturning democratic process will not solve the housing crisis.

New planning rules, released yesterday for consultation, which the both Prime Minister, Theresa May, and housing secretary, Sajud Javid, say are needed to boost housebuilding, are founded on the entirely false premise that Councils “don’t really want to build homes that their local community needs” and that the existing rules need to be changed to ease the planning process for developers (Sunday Times 04/03/18).

According to Mr Javid, Councils are responsible for the housing shortage and in future will be “stripped of their right to decide what gets built in their areas” should they fail to meet annual targets. Never mind that developers, not Councils, build houses and decide annual build rates.

In consequence of the ‘new rules’, Horsham District Council will be made to increase its house-building target from 800 houses per year to at least1,120 houses per year, an increase of 40%.

This increase will wipe out the District’s 5 year housing supply, with the likelihood that control of development will be transferred to a Government appointed planning inspector with developers deciding where houses should be built. The aspirations of communities expressed in Neighbourhood Plans will count for nothing.

Furthermore, the wording of the ‘new planning’ rules (Draft revised NPPF), despite statements by the Prime Minister to the contrary, will as now, enable developers to renege on their obligation to deliver affordable homes -. and the ‘new rules’ do not provide Councils with the means to ensure that developers meet annual targets.

Intimidation of Councils and communities by Government and overturning democratic process will not solve the housing crisis.

The consultation commenced 5 March and closes 11.45pm, 10 May 2018.

Yours faithfully,

Dr R F Smith
For and on behalf of CPRE Sussex