CPRE Sussex Director’s column written for West Sussex Gazette, August 2024

In last month’s column I spoke about the need to work collaboratively to protect and celebrate the countryside, while also meeting the very real challenges around housing and transport facing Sussex.

This month has highlighted just how complex some of those issues are. But it has also seen us celebrating victories.

The cancellation of the controversial A27 Arundel bypass scheme was a win for the Sussex countryside. It was also a win for everyone who has fought so hard against this inappropriate scheme. I would like to congratulate the Arundel Bypass Neighbourhood Committee, Arundel SCATE, Transport Action Network and so many others on this victory.

Now, we would like to see Arundel get the investment in transport it deserves – lower-impact measures to address congestion pinch-points. These measures must be part of a low-emission, coordinated plan, including public transport, walking and cycling.

This month we also responded to planning reforms announced by deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.

We welcome, in principle, ambitions to tackle the affordable housing crisis, confirmation of a ‘brownfield first’ approach and acknowledgement that opportunities for growing housing are greatest in towns and cities.

However, without changes, the plans will make little difference to housing affordability while more development pressure will threaten the countryside’s wildlife and tranquillity.

The plans impose higher housing targets on almost every council in Sussex. The focus should be on housing for social rent according to local need – but no new powers are being given to councils to lead on building themselves. Instead, building still appears to be overwhelmingly left to big private companies whose profits come from building ‘executive homes’ on greenfield sites.

The current plans suggest the government does not understand the unique challenges of rural affordable housing.  CPRE Sussex is calling for much greater involvement for councils in building social housing, a Land Use Framework to move away from a developer-led approach and greater recognition of the value and rights of nature.

Of course, we cannot talk about development without talking about sewerage. A CPRE Sussex survey of 58 parish and town councils found almost 8 in 10 suffer from diffuse sewage flooding in their area. This impacts homes, roads, green spaces and environmental waters.

More than 7 in 10 councils are under development pressure and almost 9 in 10 believe the sewers in their area will not cope with additional sewage.

The survey is part of our campaign calling for sewerage infrastructure to be in place before new housing developments are allowed to proceed. This could be achieved by using pre-commencement conditions, also known as Grampian conditions.

CPRE Sussex has written to local planning authorities across Sussex to share the initial survey results. It has also asked planning officers a series of questions, including if there is scope to use pre-commencement conditions and if there is support for a 25-year sewerage and sewage treatment plan.

Find out more about the campaign at cpresussex.org.uk/news/sewage-new-infrastructure-is-needed-before-developments-are-built