Our future hangs in the balance 

CPRE Sussex Director’s column written for The Argus, 3 April 2026

In increasingly uncertain times, the upcoming local elections are an opportunity to stand up for the kind of future we want to see.  With seats up for grabs on East Sussex, West Sussex, Adur, Crawley and Worthing councils, we want everyone to ask themselves some very important questions. 

Affordable, local housing 

First, do we want a future in which young people can afford to live in the places and communities they grew up in?  

Affordable home build completions have largely stagnated. There is a chronic shortage of genuinely affordable rural housing. Social housing waiting lists are increasing, and Hastings is the only area deemed “affordable” for private rent in Sussex.  

Yet there is enough brownfield in Sussex to build more than 26k homes – more than half of which already have some form of planning permission.  Prioritising these brownfield sites would speed up delivery of affordable homes and revitalise neglected areas. 

Prioritising local voices 

Second, do we want everyone to have a voice in shaping the neighbourhoods where they live, work and play?  

The Government’s proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) are highly centralising. They come on top of last year’s disastrous Planning Infrastructure Bill which also removed power from local people.  

At CPRE Sussex, we believe local people should be able to shape the place where they live and must be involved in planning decisions in a meaningful way.  

Tackling climate change 

Third, do we want to try to stop heatwaves and flooding getting ever more extreme?  

Climate change is the greatest environmental and economic threat facing our countryside. It is already affecting habitats, food supplies and landscapes in Sussex. 

 We need to reduce energy demand, switch to renewable energy and increase sustainable transport.  We must also plant more trees to soak up carbon dioxide and keeping rivers and seas free from sewage. 

Protecting the countryside 

Finally, do we want everyone to be able to enjoy the amazing countryside we have on our doorstep in Sussex?  

Do we want families to be able to walk with unspoiled views to the South Downs?  Or hear a skylark sing? Or sit beneath an ancient oak?   

Sussex is home to a rich diversity of species and habitats.  We need to treasure these precious sites and seek every opportunity to increase biodiversity in Sussex. 

Pledges for councillors 

To achieve our vision for the future of Sussex, we are calling on local election candidates to pledge to: 

• Support councils, housing associations and community land trusts to deliver genuinely affordable homes, especially for social rent. 

• Build on brownfield first, through prioritising the over 1,200 acres of brownfield land in Sussex for new development. 

• Resist central government control on planning policy and push back on their sledgehammer housing targets. 

• Invest in nature recovery, through properly protecting and resourcing Sussex landscapes. 

• Champion a community-led clean energy movement through supporting local groups. 

• Hold water companies to account and use planning conditions to ensure new developments can only be built if there is enough capacity in the sewerage system. 

CPRE Sussex is writing to candidates to ask them to make these commitments. But we also need your support. Sign our petition to ask them to step up for a fairer, greener future for Sussex here.    

Read more about our vision for the future of Sussex in our latest Argus column here.