Councils row over local plan designating land near border for major housing development

Two West Sussex districts have clashed over plans for housebuilding along their boundary.

Michael Jones, Labour leader of Crawley Borough Council, has told the BBC that he objects to neighbouring Horsham Borough Council designating land west of Ifield for 3,000 in its proposed local plan.

Cllr Jones said: “I am deeply unhappy Horsham District Council has chosen to continue to mass further housing developments directly on the border of Crawley borough and remain very concerned about the potential significant impacts of the proposed west of Ifield allocation on Crawley, given the many unanswered questions relating to the infrastructure requirements by Homes England.

“The council has a statutory responsibility to respond to the Horsham local plan consultation as a neighbouring authority, and we will certainly do so, including a detailed technical response to the west of Ifield proposals, which are a step much too far.”

Horsham has approved its local plan for the next stage of preparation and cabinet member for planning and development John Milne said: “We want to ensure the Horsham District continues to be a place where people love to live, work and do business.

“Our local plan will play a key role in securing the investment needed to deliver new low carbon housing design and infrastructure and to support sustainable development that delivers environmental protection including 12% biodiversity net gain.”

Horsham’s plan refers to the ‘west of Ifield’ land as being for 3,000 homes initially but says Crawley has “tight administrative boundaries and constraints including aircraft noise which has meant that in recent years it has been unable to meet the full housing need for the town within its own boundaries”.

It said an area around the western edge of Crawley has “longer term potential for up to 10,000 homes” but the deliverability of a 10,000 home scheme site beyond 2040 “cannot be demonstrated at this time”.

The parcel of land known as ‘land west of Ifield, controlled by Homes England, “is considered to be available and deliverable” eventually for 3,000 homes, Horsham stated.

Mark Smulian