Councils in conflict over house building plans

Crawley Borough Council's leader is angry over housebuilding plans in neighbouring Horsham

A council leader has criticised a neighbouring authority over its plans to build thousands of homes.

Crawley Borough Council (CBC) leader Michael Jones said he was "deeply unhappy" that Horsham District Council (HDC) intends to build 3,000 homes on land west of Ifield.

This number will increase to 10,000 by the time the development is completed.

The plan will be considered by Horsham councillors on Monday evening.

Mr Jones said: “I am deeply unhappy Horsham District Council has chosen to continue to mass further housing developments directly on the border of Crawley borough and remain very concerned about the potential significant impacts of the proposed west of Ifield allocation on Crawley, given the many unanswered questions relating to the infrastructure requirements by Homes England.

“The council has a statutory responsibility to respond to the Horsham local plan consultation as a neighbouring authority, and we will certainly do so, including a detailed technical response to the west of Ifield proposals, which are a step much too far.”

If Horsham councillors approve the plan, it will be put out for public consultation between 19 January and 1 March 2024.

HDC leader Martin Boffey said in a statement that the authorities had discussed the local plan "at length" and that HDC had complied with agreed principles of common ground.

Mr Boffey said: "Crawley Borough Council doesn’t have anything like enough space for a growing population and in preparing its own local plan has asked Horsham if we are able to meet any of their unmet needs.

For this reason, half of the affordable homes we build here will be used to reduce Crawley’s housing waiting list. In addition, any new development west of Ifield will provide a new secondary school which will meet needs of the existing community of Crawley."

HDC added that it was committed to continued joint working with CBC if plans were agreed on Monday night.