Mid Sussex now has an adopted plan for period 2014-2031, with a huge target of 16,390 houses, back-dated to 2014, which has been imposed by Mr Jonathan Bore, the examining Planning Inspector. This ‘minimum’ target’ is subject to review and further increase.

The problem for Mid Sussex is that house-builders will not build more houses than can be sold at an acceptable-to-them profit and they will adjust and if necessary reduce build rates in order to maintain profitably.

Developers and house-builders are under no regulatory obligation to meet annual targets - and obligatory five year housing land supplies are at risk and often lost in consequence.

Notwithstanding the reality that Council’s are not empowered to compel developers to meet annual targets, Mr Bore has warned Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC) that should the District’s housing supply “fall below 5 years at any time the Council would be less able to direct development through the plan-led system”.

Mr Bore, however, is understating the consequences for MSDC because his political master, the Government’s housing secretary, Mr Sajid Javid, has said that Councils will be “stripped of their right to decide what gets built in their areas” should they fail to meet annual targets (Sunday Times 04/03/18).

Unfortunately for Mid Sussex it has been set up to fail by Mr Bore and the Government’s false presumption that councils, not house-builders, are responsible for any shortfall in housing delivery.

What say Mid Sussex District’s representatives at West Minster, The Rt Hon Sir Nicholas Soames MP, the Rt Hon Nick Herbert MP and Mr Jeremy Quinn MP?

Yours faithfully,

Dr R F Smith
Trustee CPRE Sussex