Government is getting Horsham all wrong, says John Milne MP

In an unexpected announcement, the government has said it will be bypassing key habitats legislation, which has protected a delicate wetlands environment in Horsham District against over-abstraction of water supplies. This will unleash permission for 21,000 new homes, Ministers say. 

Horsham District’s water supply is drawn almost entirely from Hardham near Pulborough Brooks, a protected area which supports many endangered species. In a judgement 4 years ago, Natural England stated that over-abstraction of water was an unacceptable risk to this delicate environment.

Questions have to be asked about a potential conflict of interest for the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, who revealed the decision ahead of schedule at a private conference: “We knew about that issue because we’ve got a good relationship with the developer and he brought it to our attention.” 

Her understanding of this issue, which is so important to Horsham, seems alarmingly limited. She spoke about “some snails on the site are a protected species or something.” 

John Milne, Liberal Democrat MP for Horsham, said: 

“I suppose we should all be flattered that Horsham is suddenly a hot topic for conversation between top government ministers, including the Chancellor and the Environment Secretary. What a shame they didn’t think to talk to anyone who actually knows anything about Horsham.

“This decision rides roughshod over the work that Horsham District Council (HDC) has been carrying out to find a balanced solution. All this time, the government left us hanging in the wind to sort this complex challenge unaided. Now this comes out of the blue. 

"We have no details on why the government thinks the environmental risk doesn’t count any more. But if there is a legal challenge as a result, it’s Horsham District Council that could end up footing the bill. 

"HDC already has a plan for providing essential housing in a managed way, with proper supporting infrastructure. The government’s crude intervention puts all that at risk and gives free licence to speculative developers. 

"This is top-down government at its worst. They don’t understand how this affects Horsham, and frankly, they don’t seem to care either.”