Group to look at homes plans

Mid Sussex councillors have agreed to set up a working party to review plans for thousands of new homes, which were included in the council’s draft district plan.

An uproar over proposals for new strategic sites at Ansty, Sayers Common, and west of Burgess Hill – as well as 21 smaller sites – saw Conservative leader Jonathan Ash-Edwards ‘press the pause button’.

During a meeting of the scrutiny committee for housing, planning and economic growth on Wednesday (January 19), members agreed that had been the right thing to do.

But Robert Eggleston (Lib Dem, Burgess Hill – Meeds) stressed the need for them to be able to take a proper look at what had been proposed.

He said: “We’re all on the same page in terms of taking more time to consider the update to the District Plan.

“Itwillbeapityifmembers, while we pause this, didn’t have the opportunity in another forum to review and consider the district plan policies that are being updated.

“I would be really disappointed if members were denied the opportunity to thoroughly interrogate the evidence on the housing need.”

The committee agreed that a working party would be set up to review the evidence for the proposed housing allocation, the alterations proposed to ten major District Plan policies and the addition of six new policies.

The party will also look at how appropriate it was to include the sites identified for development in the District Plan, either in whole or in part. It will report its finding to the next appropriate meeting of the committee.