Why is this happening?
We thought it would be useful to explain how the proposed development has come about - so here is the potted history so far:
Central government set minimum housing targets for every district/borough council according to an algorithm known as the "Standard Model". Mid Sussex's share is currently set at 20,000 homes between 2024 and 2039.
The District Councils must:
provide a robust evidenced plan for how these numbers are to be achieved over a 15 year period
At all times prove that they have at least 5 years housing supply in reserve. Failure to do so means developers can build where they want.
The District Council selects sites from a long list of potential localities known as the SHELAA (Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment) to contribute toward the total numbers required.
Mid Sussex's preference and policy is for these sites to be near to or within the existing towns - Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath, and East Grinstead where there is already infrastructure in place to support them.
Unfortunately there is only room for 12,000 houses on these sites.
8,000 homes therefore have to be found from elsewhere and additional sites were selected.
The first draft of the District Plan identified 1,600 homes at Ansty Farm as one of these additional sites and this was first made public in January 2022.
The Stop Cuck-Stye Action Group (SCAG) was formed shortly afterwards and by June 2022 had obtained a public promise from the leadership of Mid Sussex District Council to remove this site from the District Plan.
On 10th October 2022 a revised version of the draft District Plan was published which:
Excludes the Ansty Farm site
Increases the estimate of so-called 'windfall' (the minor, one off developments that have occurred and will continue to occur across the district during the lifetime of the plan)
Increases the estimate of Brownfield
Reduces the 'buffer" or reserve numbers above the actual target that might well be lost over the planning period.
The revised draft District Plan was approved by the full Council in October 2022 and will go out to consultation.
This consultation period is for 6 weeks (starting 7th November) and will be the most important opportunity for local residents and others to write in to support the draft plan insofar as it excludes the Ansty Farm site. The District Council will be holding public sessions which will provide people with the opportunity to ask questions. A local venue will also be made available for a briefing by the District Council that will be specifically aimed at local residents.
So what happens next?
During the consultation period the potential developer of the site (and others) will be free to argue that the site needs to be brought back into scope.
The final version of the plan will then be published, and submitted to the Secretary of State.
The plan will be examined by the planning inspectorate, and can be subject to an appeal. This is a legal process where the plan will be argued out between lawyers acting on behalf of the council and any potential developers who are unhappy about the exclusion of the Ansty Farm site.
The final plan is adopted.