I firmly believe in the importance of building more homes so that the dream of homeownership can be made a reality for even more hardworking families. I am therefore broadly supportive of the Government’s overarching ambition to build 1.5 million new homes, but I am clear that these must be the right homes delivered in the right places, and that local voices must not be silenced.
That said, it is concerning to read reports that the Chief Executive of Homes England, the Government's housing agency, believes the Government will not realistically meet its target of building 1.5 million new homes this Parliament. This has been echoed by developers and council leaders. It is vital that the Government is honest with communities about the viability of this manifesto pledge that it was elected upon.
In the meantime, I have been contacted by many constituents sharing their concerns about the Labour Government’s housebuilding targets, reforms to the planning system and the redefining the Green Belt alongside other environmental considerations. Please know that I understand and share these worries and believe it is crucial the planning system respects the natural environment. You can read my response to the NPPF/Planning consultation back in September here:
Mims Davies MP letter to Secretary of State on NPPF/Planning Consultation | Mims Davies
Protecting the natural environment is vitally important, right across the country, for the benefit of future generations. Here in the East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency, as I wrote to the Secretary of State, ‘a majority of our land consists of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, forests and the South Downs National Park. While we are blessed by some of the most quintessentially British landscapes, this also means we have been given the added responsibility of conserving and protecting this irreplaceable environment with its extensive biodiversity.’
The Government recently released its reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework to support its housebuilding ambitions and they are now published. These include introducing mandatory local housing targets and a new standard method for calculating local housing need. I was deeply concerned to see that this Labour Government is opting to sideline urban housing, where houses are needed the most. For example, under the Government’s new targets, housing number have been cut by 11 per cent in London, 38 per cent in Birmingham and 55 per cent in Coventry, whilst building in rural areas including the Green Belt and shires like us has been prioritised. New targets are being ruthlessly imposed on rural communities with increases of 106 per cent in New Forest, 199 per cent in North Yorkshire and 487 per cent in Westmorland and Furness.
Locally, NPPF announcements have increased targets for all authorities in Sussex (with the exception of Eastbourne -2%). For East Grinstead and Uckfield Local Planning Authorities, this means:
Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC) – 1039 to 1276 (+23%)
Wealden District Council (WDC) – 1186 to 1397 (+18%)
Lewes District Council (LDC) – 777 to 828 (+7%)
while our neighbouring district of Horsham’s targets have been increased by 41%. This is particularly concerning given that cities like London already have the infrastructure needed to support development.
Protecting the Green Belt and countryside is important to a great many of my constituents, as it is to me. I therefore recognise concerns about the Government’s plans to release areas of the Green Belt for development, under their own subjective ‘grey belt’ definition which, in reality, simply waters down all Green Belt protections. Indeed, with plans to ‘turbocharge housebuilding’ set out by the Government on 15 December 24 as part of the forthcoming Planning & Infrastructure Bill with ‘developers able to pay into a (central Nature Restoration) fund as a quicker & simpler way of meeting their environmental obligations’ allowing them to avoid securing mitigation for environmental harm before being granted planning permission, I fear legitimate local concerns and objections will simply be overridden. Additionally, this statement also penalised local authorities without local plans for refusing permission and is likely to lead to more approvals across the country.
The Government are forcing through top-down reforms whist at the time silencing local voices by stripping council planning committees of their ability to consider applications that ostensibly accord with the Local Plan. It is vital that, instead of concreting over Green Belt and our green fields, houses are built in the right places with the right infrastructure. I will always stand against unsustainable urban sprawl and defend the countryside.
It is important that this Labour Government continues work to protect, rather than harm, the environment. The last Conservative government introduced the Environment Act in 2021 which introduced a law to halt the decline in nature and protect the abundance of species. The UK was one of the first countries to pledge to protect 30 per cent of our land for nature by 2030.
In 2023, the last Government also appointed 48 responsible authorities to lead on preparing a local nature recovery strategy for their area. These strategies are designed to recover nature through targeted, co-ordinated and collaborative action. Locally, WDC and LDS do not have local plans meaning limited protections to meet the new targets. I will work with residents, parish councils and district councils to support them through the process.
I assure you that I will continue to scrutinise the Government’s plans on housebuilding, stand up for local voices and call on the Government to protect the countryside, nature and wildlife.
