“Neighbourhood planning has been a really good feature of the Localism Act, and where these plans have been finalised they have been popular and successful, giving local people control over development in their villages and protecting green spaces,” comments Nick Herbert, our local MP (Arundel & South Downs), in his online blog.
“These plans are democratically agreed in parish referendums. This has already happened in Kirdford and Arundel, two of the earliest neighbourhood plans to be adopted in the country, and others in West Sussex are in the pipeline.
“But neighbourhood planning and community support for this important process are undermined when speculative applications by developers are allowed before the plans are put in place.
“I am especially concerned when the Planning Inspectorate overrides sensible decisions by our local councils, and I intend to move amendments to curtail the power of this quango at least, and indeed to abolish it outright.
“I believe we should be maintaining the green spaces between settlements and protecting our villages from excessive development. We all understand the need for some additional housing, but this should be at reasonable levels and agreed by the local community.
“Horsham District Council has produced a responsible plan which makes substantial provision for housing, mostly through development north of Horsham rather than in our villages, and I do not think their plan should be second guessed or undermined by developers when it is on the point of going through.”
SPANGLE says: Thanks Nick. We wholeheartedly agree with you and look forward to your support as we fight to Save The Glebe in Storrington (which has indeed been listed as Local Green Space in the Neighbourhood Plan)
