East Sussex residents say housing targets are 'unsustainable' and will have a damaging impact on the countryside

By Frankie Elliott
Published 9th Aug 2023, 11:43 BST
Updated 9th Aug 2023, 14:27 BST
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now
Countryside campaigners in Lewes say the ‘undeliverable’ government housing targets will have a damaging impact on the rural districts in the area.

Members of the CPRE Sussex Lewes branch made their feelings known at their most recent annual meeting, in which they discussed the government's standard method, a formula to identify the minimum number of homes expected to be planned for each year.

The group said the targets created by the formula were imposing unsustainable housing numbers on the district and were leading to the ‘exact opposite’ of levelling up.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

John Kay, planning lead for the CPRE Sussex Lewes District group, said: “Rural districts like Lewes are being given ridiculously high housing targets because of the use of the flawed ‘standard method’ algorithm and the government’s insistence on using obsolete population projections. A developer-led approach to housing delivery is leading to a focus on car-dependent greenfield development. Meanwhile, sustainable urban brownfield sites in Lewes and Newhaven languish derelict for decades.”

The group said the targets created by the formula were imposing unsustainable housing numbers on the district and were leading to the ‘exact opposite’ of levelling upThe group said the targets created by the formula were imposing unsustainable housing numbers on the district and were leading to the ‘exact opposite’ of levelling up
The group said the targets created by the formula were imposing unsustainable housing numbers on the district and were leading to the ‘exact opposite’ of levelling up

CPRE Sussex wants local communities to have a greater say in deciding where new housing should go in their area.

The charity also wants to see local plans prioritising the types of housing needed to alleviate the housing crisis, rather than just focusing on numbers.