Scrutiny is much needed
A culture exists in Mid Sussex that the Climate Emergency does not apply to us.
The existing district plan is allowing houses to be built that are not fit for the future. Dwellings with gas-fired combi-boilers will continue to be built while the draft district plan 2021-2038 fails to address the fact that it will be impossible to retrofit these houses with renewable energy sources.
Excessive housebuilding numbers dictated by central government are not predicated on the needs of Mid Sussex residents.
Hitherto, the district plan has achieved the five-year housing land supply numbers by promoting development sites having good public transport.
The new draft proposes ‘significant’ sites on some of the best farm land at Ansty, Albourne and Henfield, which are not well-connected at all.
The district council’s cabinet system awards decision-making and control to the largest party, the Conservatives, but scrutiny committees exist to exert checks and balances.
No Housing and Planning Scrutiny Committee has been convened since January 2021 during the development of the new district plan and the meeting on January 19, 2022 did not get to embark on this, due to the intervention to ‘pause’ the process by leader of council, councillor AshEdwards.
Green Party councillors envisage main settlements being revitalised to encourage active travel in a 20-minute town with walking and cycling at its heart. The Haywards Heath Town Centre Master Plan, the Housing Design Guide and the Car Parking Strategy recently approved by council have all failed to understand the need for initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Promoting significant additional out-of-town carIt centric settlements now deviates further from the
2050 net zero objectives and yet further still from Green Party net-zero targets for 2030.
My appeal is to let councillors on the Housing, Planning and Economic Growth Scrutiny Committee carefully cross-examine the developers’ vision and representations promoting these significant sites without any more delay. And let us have the chance to get the new strategic plan fit for purpose before Regulation 18 public consultation begins. CLLR PAUL BROWN Green Party, Bulldogs Bank, Sharpthorne