News Date: Tuesday 5th September 2006
Tim discusses concerns over new houses with local residents
About 30 residents of Mill Road Lancing crammed into the home of Cllr Carson Albury County Councillor for Lancing on Mill Road on Monday night to discuss planning proposals for this historic area of Lancing with local MP Tim Loughton and Ward Councillor Keith Dollemore. Residents have been concerned about a recent planning application for building houses in the garden of an existing property and feared further such developments would adversely impact onto this popular residential area.
Tim Loughton explained the problems with current Government planning policy and the pressures that were being placed on local authorities to encourage high density housing development in order to fulfil the Government's target of an additional 46,000 new homes in West Sussex alone. Tim also gave details on some of the housing developments currently causing significant concern in Worthing and in particular around Broadwater where houses with large gardens are being snapped up by developers and replaced by high density flats.
Tim commented:
"All over the South East the infrastructure is creaking at the seams as more and more communities are being forced to take on unsustainable housing developments and this is seriously impacting on the quality of life. As we know from some of the controversial developments in Worthing many of my constituents are very vulnerable too, not least from building on existing gardens which John Prescott has classified as Brownfield sites suitable for development.
"With all the local pressures we have on A27 congestion, water shortages and health services under threat for example this seriously threatens the quality of life of my constituents. People in Lancing just as much as in Worthing and other parts of Adur need to be vigilant. I hope they will be organising themselves into a residents association to fight any further unacceptable proposals if they come along. Together with local councillors I have offered them my full support and it was good to have the opportunity to discuss this important issue with them at close hand.
Note to editor:
1) For further information on the Conservative Party campaign to stop the Government forcing the demolition of homes with gardens to be replaced by ugly blocks of flats or high density buildings please visit www.conservatives.com/gardens
?, Tim Loughton MP , 2006
