Agenda item

This report advises Members on Worthing Borough Council’s and Crawley Borough Council’s ‘Pre-submission’ Local Plan (Regulation 19) public consultations. The respective plans propose strategies, site allocations and policies to deliver housing and development needs over their plan periods but with a significant residual unmet housing need in each case. At this stage each plan is considered ready for submission and comments are restricted to legal or ‘soundness’ issues. The response urges the two authorities respectively, to secure Statements of Common Ground with Arun to clarify and address  the cross boundary implications of the levels unmet housing need.

The Sub-Committee received a report from the Planning Policy Team Leader advising Members on Worthing Borough Council’s and Crawley Borough Council’s ‘Pre-Submission’ Local Plan (Regulation 19) public consultations. 

            The Sub-Committee was being asked to agree to the suggested responses to these consultations as outlined in the report.  In looking at Crawley Borough Council’s pre-submission Local Plan first, the response was that the Council was satisfied with the approach to the Crawley Publication (Regulation 19) Local Plan and Duty to Co-operate based on the fact that Crawley be urged to secure a Statement of Common Ground with Arun in order to clarify its approach to securing unmet need within the North Sussex Housing Market Area (HMA) before submitting its Plan. 

             Looking at the situation for Worthing Borough Council, Councillors were referred to Paragraph 1.4 of the report setting out the background to the Worthing Local Plan. Arun had objected to the original Plan and since making that objection, several Duty to Co-operate meetings had taken place to overcome the objection including through progressing the Plan’s supporting evidence base and approach. The points covered were explained by the Planning Policy Team Leader.

It was explained that Worthing was facing a significant housing shortfall and was only meeting around 26% of its overall Plan requirement and there was no plan in place to overcome the issue. In view of this, the report was proposing that whilst they had addressed the concerns over evidence base, the level of unmet need was still an issue and no resolution had been reached in terms of which and how Local Authorities would  assist with that number.  The Council had been asked if it could help to accommodate that unmet need. The Council’s proposed response was that it would remove the objection originally lodged on the evidence base but that Worthing Borough Council be urged to pause its plan timetable in order to progress Statements of Common Ground and joint progress working other authorities within its HMA to look at potential development options.

            Debate on this item raised questions about the delay to the Local Strategic Statement 3 process (LSS3) and the issues surrounding this were explained. Other observations made were what the responses were made by other local authorities as it would have been useful to have seen their comments.  It was explained that the consultation deadline was 23 March 2021 and so other Local Authorities still had not made their consultation response. Officers were asked what discussions they had had with other authorities and if they were in a position to meet that need. It was explained that discussions had taken place with Horsham and the South Downs National Park on the basis of Duty to Co-Operate and the issue about unmet need across the sub-region. 

            Following further discussion, the Sub-Committee

                        RESOLVED – That

(1)  That the Council’s outstanding objection to the Worthing Local Plan is resolved, however, Worthing Borough Council is urged to pause its plan timetable in order to progress Statement of Common Ground and joint working with neighbouring authorities within its Housing Market Area, in order to address the significant level of unmet housing need; and

(2)  Arun is satisfied with the approach to the Crawley publication (Regulation 19_ Local Plan and the Duty to Co-Operate, however, the authority is urged to secure a Statement of Common Ground with Arun in order to clarify its approach to securing unmet need within the North Sussex HMA before submitting its Plan.