Continuing his support for Horsham Labour Party's campaign on affordable housing, David Hide (constituency chair) wrote this letter to the West Sussex County Times, which was printed in today's paper.Tory councillor David Jenkins' claim, following Horsham district council's decision to cave in to Berkeley Homes' demand to slash the number of affordable homes to be build West of Horsham, that they will 'work on affordable housing hereafter', looks somewhat hollow as both Tory and Lib Dem members of the planning committee nodded through a development on Hurst Road last week, this time with no affordable homes whatsoever.
This highlights the failure of the council's core housing strategy, as time and again it grants planning permission on developments of 14 homes - one more and the council would demand up to 40 per cent of the development being affordable.
The magic number 14 effectively allows the council to wash its hands of its own housing strategy.
At every turn the Tories fail to deliver on the universally accepted need to provide large numbers of affordable homes for local people.
Horsham Labour Party has now written to John Denham MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, asking him to call in the decision of the council to reduce the number of affordable homes in the West of Horsham development.
We will also be meeting up with the Housing Minister John Healey next week, to press our case to call in this decision and will take with us a petition, which has been signed by hundreds of residents from Broadbridge Heath, demanding that the council delivers on a minimum of 40 per cent for this development.
Horsham Labour Party is keen to work with other political parties to fight for much larger percentages of affordable homes for the people of Horsham and we have been in contact with the Lib Dem councillor for Broadbridge Heath offering to campaign jointly on this issue.
Horsham Labour Party will not idly stand by when such an important issue as affordable homes for local people is at stake.
David Hide
Chair
Horsham Labour Party