Horsham District Council has complained to the planning inspectorate after its local plan was rejected.
The Government-appointed planning Inspector, Mr Luke Fleming, said the council should be seeking to provide significantly more houses.
House building is restricted in the area by the legal requirement for all new developments to be ‘water neutral’ to protect the Pulborough Brooks wildlife sites.
However, Mr Fleming concluded the local authority should have done more to find water solutions that would increase the number of homes delivered.
The council said it ‘strongly disagrees’, adding it was ‘astonished’ the inspector had reached this conclusion.
Cllr Ruth Fletcher, cabinet member for Planning & Infrastructure, said it was a ‘hugely disappointing’ decision.
‘The plan has been prepared based on good evidence; the council has taken expert advice including from the Planning Inspectorate, on its actions throughout the plan preparation process and no substantive concerns were raised at any point,’ she said.
‘We firmly believe we have acted in the best interests of the district and in the most professional way in trying to meet the Government’s housing targets.’
.png)
