House of Commons · General Debate
07 September 2020 · 9 other contributors
Opened by Andrew Griffith Con Arundel and South Downs
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Andrew Griffith raised concerns about housing developments: west sussex in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.
Key points
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
The planning system is too slow, adversarial, and expensive. It creates blight and burden on communities without delivering the volume, quality or even type of homes needed. There are more than 1 million approved but unbuilt homes that could satisfy housing needs for years to come. Inappropriate development threatens green spaces and natural environments in Sussex.
Highlights the threat of unsustainable development on floodplains, urging the need to balance additional housing provision with environmental protection.
Argues that while the Government’s planning White Paper has positive aspects like local design statements and emphasis on brownfield land, it is sabotaged by a flawed 'mutant algorithm' that ignores geography and flood risks. This forces unrealistic development in green corridors and protected areas, undermining environmental protections.
Concerned about unsustainable house building affecting his constituents, he asks if the Government should apply some form of judgment on top of scientific assessments to ensure fairness in planning targets.
Griffith argues that the current housing targets are unsustainable and damaging to local communities. He cites examples of excessive development plans in greenfield sites and their negative impacts on residents, wildlife, and infrastructure. He emphasises the need for more realistic planning methods, protection of natural habitats, prioritisation of brownfield land use, and regeneration of urban centres.
Expresses deep concern about the potential impact of new planning policies on his constituency, particularly Adur. Discusses unique challenges faced by coastal areas like Adur with high land protection due to national parks and limited brownfield sites. Argues that proposed changes may threaten protected green spaces such as Shoreham airport and historical film studios. Highlights issues with inadequate infrastructure and congestion caused by new developments. Emphasises the importance of preserving local businesses and schools, and protecting affordable housing for residents. Calls on the government to recognise local geographical and social circumstances in planning decisions.
Congratulated Andrew Griffith for securing the debate. Highlighted concerns over excessive development in Worthing, mentioning specific proposals such as the Union Place development and the St Andrews Gardens proposal. Emphasised the need to respect local areas and protect green spaces like the Goring gap.
Congratulated Andrew Griffith on securing the debate and praised his speech for its balanced approach. Discussed the history of the local housing need calculation, acknowledging that it is being reviewed due to affordability challenges. Highlighted the Government’s commitment to delivering more homes since 2010.
Asked the Minister if they would consider focusing on areas without local plans, like Eastleigh, and on planning permissions that have been granted but not built to continue making progress in housing delivery.
Stressed the importance of meeting national housing needs through local plans, highlighting the government's White Paper on planning reforms. Emphasised protecting green spaces while encouraging development in brownfield areas. Noted that 90% of councils have adopted a local plan compared to just 17% in 2010 and over 900 successful neighbourhood planning referendums across England. Discussed the need for infrastructure before housing developments, proposing reforms such as a new uniform flat-rate infrastructure levy and £5.5 billion made available through the Housing Infrastructure Fund. Also mentioned high-quality design being central to planning, with plans for a fast-track system for beautiful buildings.