Countryside charity calls for 'realistic housing targets'

CPRE Sussex says urban sprawl is one of the greatest threats to our countryside and development should instead focus on brownfield sites.

Research by the national CPRE charity suggests there is capacity for more than one million homes on brownfield land in England.

CPRE Sussex director Brian Kilkelly said: “It is vital we take a rounded approach to the development of any green space.

“The relentless pressure on the countryside for housing development must be weighed against our needs for food, nature, protection from flooding and extreme heat, and our mental wellbeing.

“The needs and voices of local people are crucial to making better decisions.”

Currently, Sussex’s annual housing need is estimated at 12,423 homes.

This is based on projections of household levels in each planning district published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in 2014.

However, more recent data shows population and household growth have slowed.

Housing target algorithms also include an ‘affordability factor’.

This requires authorities to multiply their assessed housing need by a factor linked to, among other things, the extent to which average house prices exceed the national norm.

However, there is no evidence developers drop their prices when they build more homes.

CPRE Sussex calculates that, if the algorithm applied 2018 household projections and the ‘affordability factor’ was removed, Sussex’s annual housing need would reduce by 53% to 5,746.

“The current system of imposed top-down housing targets does not provide the right types of housing in the right places at an affordable price,” said Brian.

“We need an approach based on where the need is greatest, not arbitrary targets. A people formula not a financial formula.”

The challenge of top-down targets is not a new one.

Early campaign work by the national CPRE charity led to the Town and Country Planning Act 1932, giving local authorities more control over development.

However, this control is increasingly under threat.

CPRE Sussex says the Government’s Levelling-Up & Regeneration Bill ‘radically centralises’ decision-making and ‘substantially erodes’ public participation.

It believes public involvement is key to appropriate development and protecting open spaces.

Earlier this year, people living in Goring-by-Sea, Ferring and Worthing celebrated as plans for a major housing development on Chatsmore Farm were successfully overturned in the High Court.

“We do not have to make a choice between development and nature,” said Brian.

“They can co-exist with developments which avoid important habitats, make use of brownfield sites and incorporate open spaces.

“It is crucial that we let our local councillors know these matters are important to us and we want them to protect what we value about Sussex.

“Without our input, they lack the ability to put forward a public interest argument to balance the economic pressure.”

Find out more about what CPRE Sussex is doing to promote sustainable development, and how you can take action, at cpresussex.org.uk/what-we-care-about/what-gets-built-and-where

CPRE Sussex is marking the start of its 50th anniversary year by teaming up with SussexWorld to raise awareness of some of the biggest environmental issues facing our county.

Have you read? : Charity celebrates 50 years of protecting the Sussex countryside