District News
Letter: How developers are empowered by the NPPF
Written by Roger F SmithLetter published by the West Sussex County Times 29 January 2015
Article: Mid Sussex Times 15 January 2015 by Dr Roger Smith
Written by Roger F SmithSubject: house-building targets are decided – by Planning Inspectors, “unelected official, whose decisions cannot be challenged - and who cannot be held to account by councils and communities should his decisions prove to be flawed”.
“Since he does not explain how he has arrived at a number for the latter, one must conclude that the allocation is arbitrary.”
The Planning Inspector who examined the Horsham District Planning Framework (HDPF), has decided that a minimum of 750 new houses pa should be built in Horsham District in the period 2011-2031, amounting to at least 15,000 in total.
We have been taking stock of the results of our interventions in recent planning applications and planning appeals in Mid Sussex. Of the last 10 cases in which we have intervened, we await the result in 4 cases: the planning wheels can grind exceedingly slow!. Of those that have been determined, we are delighted to say that in 4 cases the planning application has either been withdrawn or turned down (in one case after the developer's appeal was rejected on grounds that we argued for) or granted subject to conditions that CPRE advocated. It would be inappropriate hubris to claim that CPRE is solely responsible for these good results, but we do hope that our arguments at least served to focus minds on the core arguments and to galvanise public opinion.
Letter: Planning Inspector's targets make us vulnerable
Written by Roger F SmithLetter published by the West Sussex Gazette 7 January 2015
Where Planning Power Rests: House-building target imposed on Horsham District by Planning Inspector is dependent on untested and questionable presumptions and assumptions.
Letter: Planning Inspector's imposed targets for Horsham District are arbitrary
Written by Roger F SmithLetter published by the West Sussex County Times 1 January 2015
CPRE Sussex response to Brighton & Hove City Plan
Written by CPRE SussexOn 15 December, CPRE Sussex submitted its response to the Brighton and Hove City Plan, making five objections. For reference, the proposed changes to the City Plan can be downloaded from the council's website [PDF 5.4MB]
