Page 22 - MJC submissions

STEPS TOWARDS AN AGREED STATEMENT OF FACTS
And stipulations

4.2 National Planning Policies (Continued)

 The OANs for Mid Sussex (See Appendix A) identified shortages-especially in three towns
of Burgess Hill, East Grinstead and Haywards Heath. Neighbourhood Plans were
encouraged to help meet this demand by adding up to 10% to their developments. Page | 12
Ashurst Wood has done all it needs to do.

There is no obligation by, or expectation for, rural villages to compensate for any
shortfalls in urban settlements or to act as a dumping ground to clear county or
district housing lists. Nor is encouragement given to developers for speculative
building that is not in a made plan.

 The town planning statement (See paragraph 5.3), supporting the application, is
misleading because it refers to an OAN for category 3 villages of 2,200 units to 2031;
thereby implying that any development in Ashurst Wood of less than that number is
justified. Ashurst Wood’s OAN is for 60 units to 2024 with a further 42 to 2031.

The transport statement is open to misunderstanding because it implies that any
development of less than 2,200 units is justified by the Category 3 OAN. This is not
the case.

 The integrated development would produce around 60 dwellings more than the total of
Ashurst Wood’s 13-year OAN target and absent local demand would, most likely, be
rented by people mainly on council house lists from the three towns , Crawley and the
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Gatwick Triangle. This would result in increased commuting and defeat WSCC traffic and
national environmental objectives.

The integrated development would – in one hit - increase the population of Ashurst
Wood by over 13% against an average annual growth rate of 0.86%.

It would be virtually impossible for a small rural community to absorb this level of
growth

4.3 Sustainability Appraisal & Land Availability
Another crucial step in the planning process is the identification of land available for
development including both greenfield and brownfield sites. Catalogues were prepared for
the county, districts and villages and published in sustainability reports and development
plans. There is an excess of development land in Ashurst Wood (See Appendix F1) to satisfy
all objective needs. Most of the suitable sites are to the east of the A22 and are far more
accessible to the village centre.

There is no justification for, or sense in, cramming the development in the way
proposed and in the process destroying the distinctive character and amenity of
Ashurst Wood and areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

22 East Grinstead, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill