Cabinet councillors at Eastbourne Borough Council have agreed to consult residents on the amount of development that could be provided in Eastbourne and where it would be built.
The consultation is part of the preparations for a new Local Plan.
Local Plans provide a clear strategy for future growth, guiding decisions on the locations, amount and type of development that is needed, such as new homes, health and education provision, transport links and sites that will create employment opportunities.
The government believes 738 new homes should be built in Eastbourne every year.
Most recently, Councillor Alan Shuttleworth, the Cabinet Member for Housing, raised serious concerns about the numbers of new homes that the government has told the council to build every year, saying, ‘the crazy housing numbers that have been forced on Eastbourne by the government must be reconsidered and changed to reflect the barriers to development in our town, most notably the English Channel, the South Downs National Park and the Pevensey Levels. We will continue to tell the government that our town simply can’t accommodate 738 new homes every year.’
The consultation will take place between November 11, 2022, and January 20, 2023, and can be accessed online by visiting:
Eastbourne Local Plan Consultation
Councillor Shuttleworth added: “We are required by government to consult on these sites, regardless of their sensitivities.
“Residents should be in no doubt that we are determined to protect our local green spaces and challenge any development in areas that are vulnerable to flooding.”
