A few extra presents under the tree
Avery Happy New Year to all readers. After the difficult few years recovering from Covid and the energy cost aftershocks of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, let us hope for a continuation of the improving conditions that we saw in the second half of 2023.
Just before Christmas there were a few extra presents under the tree for local residents. First, the Government published a reformed National Planning Policy Framework.
This is the set of rules which govern how town hall planners should grant or refuse planning permissions.
It is how we get the better protection for our South Downs communities that I’ve campaigned for over the last four years.
In life you never get 100% of what you want but the revised NPPF is much closer to what I had called for in my speeches in Parliament on this subject.
It moves away from topdown housing targets, making clear the Government’s view that these are now advisory.
This is a key philosophical difference – we want to trust local people to make the best decisions, not government.
Other changes include greater weight for neighbourhood plans, protecting agricultural land, support for community-led housing development and scrapping the rule which allowed cities like London and Brighton to duck their own targets and ‘export’ development to neighbouring areas.
Separately, we heard the news that West Sussex County Council have approved the application for a Community Highway Scheme to reduce speeds on the A29 to 40 mph from Bury Common to the top of Bury Hill (near the Whiteways roundabout).
This reflected excellent work by the Bury A29 Road Improvement Committee and others. It will make a big difference to this accident and anti-social noise blackspot, but it will also reduce the incentive for a minority of bikers to inflict their noise elsewhere in West Sussex too.
This is a widespread issue and as the local MP, I am always happy to give my backing to other communities seeking similar schemes.