CPRE Sussex response to Horsham District Local Plan 2023-40 (Regulation 19)

The Horsham District Local Plan sets out the proposed strategy and planning policies for considering new development proposals within the District, excluding the South Downs National Park, for the plan period 2023 – 2040.

The consultation ran from 19 January to 1 March 2024:

https://www.horsham.gov.uk/planning/local-plan/local-plan-regulation-19

Transcriptions of the meeting of the Council’s Cabinet and the Extraordinary Council meeting, held 11 December 2023, to consider, and approve the plan and its release for consultation can be downloaded from CPRE Sussex’s website here: TRANSCRIPTS Horsham DC Reg19 Local Plan Cabinet&Extraordinary Council Meetings 11.12.23 (Use Ctrl F keys to subject/name search)

Introduction:

The local housing need target for the district, 15,487 (911 dwellings pa x 17), has been determined by Horsham District Council (HDC) by means of the Standard Method.

To achieve water neutrality the plan proposes a stepped trajectory delivering 480 homes pa in the first five years of the Plan and 901 homes pa for the remaining 12 years, amounting to 13,212 in total, with a resultant unmet need of 2,275 dwellings against the Standard Method target.

The plan advises that HDC will work with neighbouring authorities to meet the district’s unmet need in ‘sustainable locations’, and that the requirement for HDC to accommodate the unmet housing needs of these authorities will be ‘reviewed’, once an ‘alternative water supply solution for the district is secured’.

In which event Horsham District’s target will be subject to a substantial increase, and additional sites identified and allocated in consequence.

The following responses were prepared and submitted to the consultation:

UNMET HOUSING NEED HOW MANY HOUSES

STRATEGIC POLICY HA2 LAND WEST OF IFIELD

STRATEGIC POLICY HA3 LAND NORTH WEST OF SOUTHWATER

STRATEGIC POLICY HA4 LAND EAST OF BILLINGSHURST

STRATEGIC POLICY 6 CLIMATE CHANGE

STRATEGIC POLICY 9 WATER NEUTRALITY

STRATEGIC POLICY 11 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

STRATEGIC POLICY 13 THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND LANDSCAPE CHARACTER

STRATEGIC POLICY 17 GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND BIODIVERSITY

STRATEGIC POLICY 23 INFRASTRUCTURE PROVISION

STRATEGIC POLICY 39 AFFORDABLE HOMES

THE IMPORTANCE OF NATURE AND BIODIVERITY FOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING