LETTER: New thinking to meet need
This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.
![Your letters](https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/webimg/legacy_oak_46921602.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65&enable=upscale)
![Your letters](/img/placeholder.png)
We might ask how developers get away with it?
Local Plans often use house-building targets, based more on population projections than on supply/demand.
So when councils almost inevitably fail to meet their unattainable targets, planning inspectors have free rein to permit speculative development.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdNaturally developers will only build what they can sell at a profit and they tend to prefer green field to brown field sites.
This encourages them to bank application approvals until the time is ripe to build; at this point they build many larger houses, which are of course more profitable.
Consequently there is approval for many thousands of houses, but they are not being built. Unlike councils, developers incur no penalty if Local Plan targets are not met.
That, and the fact that so many inappropriate applications have been allowed, shows clearly that developers are in the driving seat. So much for Localism!
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThere are around 1.4 million on UK housing registers and it will take at least ten years to make up for the housing backlog. It should be quite clear by now that affordable housing needs are not going to be met unless some publicly-owned land is released. Also required is extra funding, including money from accumulated planning gain funds.
Since the cost of housing a family in temporary accommodation can exceed £15,000 pa (much higher in some locations), there is clearly an urgent need to get more affordable houses built, but we need some innovative thinking from councils.
P. H. Dearsley
Northlands Road, Warnham
__
Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.
Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.
1 Make our website your homepage at www.wscountytimes.co.uk
2 Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wscountytimes
3 Follow us on Twitter @wscountytimes
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
The County Times – always the first with your local news.
Be part of it.