The submission Core Strategy for Lewes District was published in January, and is currently out to consultation until 22 March. Lewes DC believe that it will be examined in the summer and adopted late in 2013. Developers I have spoken to believe that they will be successful in getting it referred back at the first, pre-examination, stage, leaving a much longer gap. The submission Core Strategy provides for a new housing target of 4,500, marginally higher than required by the SE Plan. However, it is admitted that housing "need" is much higher than this (estimate range 6,000-9,000). The South East Plan reduced the target because of limited capacity (half the District, including all its towns, are in or entirely surrounded by the SDNP and the sea). It might be said Lewes had a good deal from the SE Plan, and not at all certain it will be similarly protected under the NPPF, with its emphasis on meeting "need".

Lewes District planners have quite properly maintained their independence in reaching decisions about overall targets. They have consulted over a period of years about both the target and its distribution, and the current submission Core Strategy shows some evidence of having listened to comments from CPRE and others. In recent years a very high proportion of new housing has been on urban brownfield sites. The majority of the new housing now proposed is on similar sites in Newhaven (a somewhat depressed little town, which appears to welcome new development as regeneration) and Lewes (one particular large central brownfield site now firmly targeted, with a reasonable level of local consensus). Peacehaven/Telscombe has a very modest traffic-constrained target, and Seaford (largest town in the District) a ludicrously low target, which might be blamed on over-dependence on the SHLAA process. Current proposals for new rural greenfield sites are significantly lower than threatened in the last draft Plan, though still higher than residents or CPRE would wish. While the Council could not be said to have "joined forces" with CPRE or other countryside defenders, they have appeared relatively open to listen to good arguments, in so far as they can while still meeting targets. Access to the relevant officers has been far better under the current, relatively young, team than it was under their predecessors. The District's planning users group contains the usual consortium of planning consultants, estate agents, developers and architects, but also reps from the Friends of Lewes and the District's Association of Local Councils.