Public Consultation on Horsham District Council’s  (HDC’s)Horsham District Planning Framework – ‘Preferred Strategy’, has been postponed until the New Year.

Horsham District Planning Framework

Consultation on Horsham District Council’s Horsham District Planning Framework – ‘Preferred Strategy’ is imminent. ‘Possible’ strategic sites’ identified by HDC, all of which are greenfield, are as follows:

• East of Billingshurst: 1750 new houses.
• New Market Town: “Approximately 10,000 (total) ...2,500 of these delivered in Horsham District in the short to medium term”.
• North of Horsham; 4,500 new houses, plus up to 300,000 square feet of business and office space.
• West of Ifield: up to 2500 new houses.
• West of Southwater: 2,500 new houses.

House numbers, which are likely to be greater than the South East Plan allocation, and the identified strategic sites have yet to be ratified by the Council. We will be taking part in the consultation.

Planning

With others, we are opposing outline applications for major developments on countryside at:

• Billingshurst: Application to build 550 houses (phase one of a 1750 house development) was refused by HDC but has reappeared as a ‘possible’ Local Plan option.
• Southwater: Application to build 500 houses on farmland, phase one of a 2750 house development, has been put on hold. The site is identified by HDC as a ‘possible’ strategic site – ‘West of Southwater’.

In addition we have objected to applications, which have now been approved, as follows:

• Henfield: The second of two opportunistic applications to build 102 houses on countryside east of Manor Farm, Henfield, was refused. However, the first which went to Appeal on grounds of non-determination was subsequently approved by the Planning Inspectorate.
• Thakeham: ‘Mushroom Site’ Two linked planning applications, one to build 146 houses on a redundant part of the site to help pay for the provision of new commercial facilities applied for on the remainder of the site, have been approved by HDC.