LETTER: Richard Allen responds to MP Andrew Griffith's comments on planning

As printed in the Thursday, 7 March 2024, print edition of the West Sussex County Times

Dear Sir,

Re; “MP joins residents in objecting to plan site”

It is interesting that with a Council by-election in Henfield and in a General Election year, local Tory MP Andrew Griffith has declared his opposition to the Horsham Council local plan. In particular the proposed development at the former Sandgate Nurseries in Henfield.

The controversial Sandgate plan is nothing new. It has been around for many years under the previous Conservative administration which failed to pass a local plan. Mr Griffith complained that the proposed development was not included in the neighbourhood plan and called for brownfield sites to be the priority.

What Mr Griffith omitted to say is that, like every other Council, Horsham is required to meet an extremely challenging local housing target set by the national Conservative Government. There is simply not enough brownfield land available to meet the housing target. Nor are there anything like enough sites available within the neighbourhood plans. Mr Griffith is well aware of this. Far from protecting the neighbourhood plans, the Government has created an inevitable conflict between the neighbourhood plans and the housing targets.

In effect, Mr Griffith is asking Horsham District Council to defy the law of the land. A law that he personally helped to set.

Yours sincerely

Richard Allen
Liberal Democrat propsective parliamentary candidate for Arundel and South Downs