Political opinion by Alison Bennett MP: Building homes without losing our communities

For many years now, one of the biggest issues raised with me on the doorstep has been housing and development. Whether in our towns or villages, many residents feel Mid Sussex has changed enormously over the last decade. 

I understand those concerns. 

People are worried not simply about new homes, but about roads becoming busier, GP surgeries becoming harder to access, and schools and water supplies struggling to keep pace. Many also feel decisions are increasingly being done to communities rather than with them.

That is why I have been so concerned by the changes that Labour brought to the planning system after the 2024 General Election. 

Following a directive from the Planning Inspectorate, Mid Sussex now having to accommodate a significant proportion of unmet housing need from neighbouring areas, including Crawley and Brighton & Hove. As a result, additional development sites are now being proposed across our district. 

I want to be clear: I do believe we need more homes, particularly genuinely affordable homes for younger people and families who are increasingly priced out of the communities where they grew up. 

But there is a difference between sensible, locally planned development and a system that leaves communities feeling ignored. 

Mid Sussex has not been failing to build homes. Our district has consistently delivered more than 1,000 homes a year in recent years, including a strong proportion of affordable housing. We have been doing our part. 

The frustration many of us now feel comes from the sense that the rules keep changing midway through the process. Sites rejected by locally elected councillors may now return through appeal, while uncertainty over future planning decisions continues to grow. 

At the same time, after the water shortages, burst pipes and hosepipe bans many experienced over recent years, it is entirely reasonable for residents to ask whether local infrastructure can realistically cope with further large-scale development.

Last week I wrote to the government asking how they plan to reconcile the need for housing and a functioning water system whilst restoring public trust in both. These are the issues that the government should be focusing on, not rivalries at the top of Labour and the fight for the top job. All of this is a distraction from what really matters; making sure our communities are well-equipped and supported to thrive.