Decision delayed on billion pound North Horsham housing scheme

Liberty Property Trust’s scheme for 2,750 homes and a business park north of the A264, was discussed by Horsham District Council’s Planning Committee North today, but a number of members raised concerns about highway improvements to the A264, and viability studies of the proposals used to justify lower levels of affordable housing.

After more than three hours of debate, Toni Bradnum (Con, Nuthurst) proposed to refer the application to Full Council and this was agreed by the majority of the committee.

This uses a new regulation which allows decisions to be ‘called-in’ in a bid to stop applications being refused, won on appeal by the developer, and then costs awarded against the council.

The North Horsham strategic site is included in the council’s Horsham District Planning Framework, which was adopted in November 2015.

The outline planning application includes two primary schools, site and contributions for a secondary school, community centre, shops, open space, cemetery, land safeguarded for a parkway railway station, and improvements to the A264, Rusper Road and Langhurstwood Road.

However questions have been raised about viability studies of the scheme, which are used to justify the level of affordable housing and contributions to community facilities and infrastructure.

The application is set to deliver just half of the council’s affordable housing target of 35 per cent, with just 18 per cent affordable rented and shared ownership units.

Instead 30 per cent of ‘housing for local needs’ includes 12 per cent which is a mix of discount market, private rented, and custom/self-build units.

Claire Vickers (Con, Southwater), cabinet member for planning and development, said: “This is one of the most important planning applications we have ever seen before this council.”

But she expressed ‘real concern’ that if they delayed the application they would jeopardise their five-year housing land supply.

Mrs Vickers argued they should be ‘jolly grateful’ council officers had negotiated 18 per cent affordable housing and ‘we could have been asking you to approve less’.

She advised councillors not to get ‘wound up about the viability report’, suggesting members may not have ‘read or understood it properly’.

More to follow.

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