LETTER: Challenge this mad system

P.M. Rand’s letter: ‘We want the promised Localism’ (27.2.14) was a refreshing breath of common sense in this debate about housing numbers. Isn’t ‘Localism’ a dead duck?
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Senior Horsham district councillors (HDC), Ray Dawe, Clare Vickers, Jim Rae, Helena Croft, appear terrified of the unelected ‘inspectors’ and are just giving in to the imposition of housing numbers that their electorate (the ‘local population’) do not want and that the local infrastructure cannot support.

When did Cllr Ray Dawe write in his column in your paper or meet the public who pay his salary to explain how he has been to the highest levels of Government in the interests of all the residents of the District to confront Mssrs Cameron, Boles and Pickles to explain why the system is rotten and unsustainable.

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If he has met one of them, why not tell us about it and what transpired in his generous fortnightly space in your paper. Or why not write to explain how the infrastructure of the District will not be able to cope with 650-plus houses per year for the foreseeable future? There comes a point when brave leaders have to say “no”. A Local Plan, with impossible targets, will give us no more protection than we have now!

The council’s current plan isn’t an example of ‘Localism’ – it is a top down developer-led proposal, driven by fear of the inspector and the Government. The absence of reliable evidence from HDC points to its demands upon the infrastructure (transport, environment, health) being far too great and unsustainable.

Yet the gang of four push on regardless and seem to lack the courage to contest the figures with Government. Until cuncil leaders all over the country summon up the courage to challenge this mad system that will produce too many houses that we don’t need in the wrong places – Localism will be dead and also buried.

The only hope is that as we get closer to the next election, we as voters may be able to instill some steel into a few backbones.

NEIL WHITEAR

Chairman, UKIP Horsham Branch, Crawley Road, Horsham

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