Councillor addresses speculation regarding Local Plan

Councillor Laurence O’Connor, Cabinet Member for Planning at Lewes District Council, said: “We are aware of misinformed speculation concerning the preparation of the Local Plan. We have made no decisions about sites for inclusion in the Draft Local Plan for public consultation.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we are still assessing information received following the ‘call for sites’, including the site on land owned by Eton College and other large strategic developments in the district. We received 42,000 comments about future development in the district and where it should be located. This volume of response takes time to properly assess.

“Later this year, the council’s Cabinet will consider a Preferred Options Document. Subject to Cabinet’s decision, the Preferred Options Document will then go out to public consultation. It is only by leaving no stone unturned that we will be able to demonstrate to the planning inspector, at the examination stage, a level of new housing that is sustainable for our district.”