February 17th, 2021.

Lewes Green Party release:


Lewes District Councillor, Johnny Denis, is calling for the government to rethink its development targets as Minister asks Council to build nearly 16,000 new homes.

Following a recent planning briefing, Councillor Johnny Denis, has gone to social media to urge people to write to the planning Minister, Robert Jenrick, to urge him to rethink the imposition of unrealistic targets.

“The government has said that Lewes District Council must find space for 780 homes per year over the next 20 years, about 15,600 additional houses, twice as many as agreed in the current local plan.”

“To put that in perspective, at the moment there are roughly 44,000 homes in the district. So the government's targets would mean a THIRD more bricks, mortar, tarmac and concrete in our area - that's nearly another Lewes or Newhaven by 2040!”

Johnny is calling for housing development needs to be put back in the hands of local councils and communities where real local needs and genuine affordability can be prioritised.

“This ‘Build, Build, Build’ agenda is like catnip to developers. Villages and towns across the District have seen thousands of potential sites come forward. If these got the green light it would see some of our villages more than doubling in size changing the very fabric of our communities.”

“We need the government to scrap its target system, and put development back in the hands of local people”.

Johnny is urging people to join the letter writing campaign to Robert Jenrick MP online at https://bit.ly/3tWtYIu