Chief Executive's Department Corporate Director Direct Dial Centre Strategy Facsimile : 01273 263203 Wojtek Boden wojtek.boden@adur.gov.uk DX 59765, Shoreham-by-Sea : 01273 263236 Civic Ham Road Shoreham-by-Sea West Sussex BN43 6PR
C ontact: O ur ref: Your ref: D ate:
Paul Bevan Chief Executive SEERA Berkeley House Cross Lanes Guildford, Surrey GU1 1UN
Wojtek Boden WZB/HW
12 December 2005
Dear Paul, MINORITY REPORT BY ADUR DISTRICT COUNCIL CONCERNING THE REVISED STRATEGY FOR THE SUSSEX COAST SUB-REGION. I refer to my email to Andy Barton dated 9 December 2005 giving notice that Adur District Council reserves its position to submit a minority report in the event that Policy SCT7 of the Sussex Coast Sub-Regional Strategy, (Broad Amount and Distribution of Future Housing Development) is not amended to address this Council's concerns on a key point of detail. Despite considerable attempts up until the last moment to reach a solution, Adur's requested amendment to Policy SCT7 has been refused by the principal authority East Sussex County Council. Adur District Council now asks that SEERA make the following simple amendment to Policy SCT7: Alongside Adur's housing growth allocation figure of 2,600 the Policy should include an asterisk linked to the following footnote: 'This figure includes 500 dwellings at Shoreham Harbour, as part of the strategic regeneration of the Port.' The District Council's concerns are that, as it currently stands, Policy SCT7 is open to misinterpretation in that there is no specific reference in the policy to the fact that around 20% of Adur's housing allocations (500 dwellings) relate to one brownfield strategic site, i.e. Shoreham Harbour. In the event that the strategic regeneration of Shoreham Harbour does not occur during the South East Plan period, Adur would be unable to accommodate this level of growth elsewhere in the District. In such circumstances, the District Council's concerns are that Policy SCT7 could be interpreted as setting an overall housing growth target for Adur of 2,600 rather than 2,100 dwellings, (notwithstanding the explanatory text in the strategy). Cont/…2
Minicom: 01273 263060 Website: www.adur.gov.uk Switchboard: 01273 263000
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Policy SCT7, as it currently stands, does not accord with the basis upon which this Council was consulted by West Sussex County Council. This made a clear distinction between a potential land supply within the district of 2,100 dwellings (2006-2026) and an additional 500 dwellings relating specifically to the strategic regeneration of Shoreham Harbour. Therefore, unless Policy SCT7 is amended as proposed above, Adur District Council will withdraw its agreement to accommodate 2,600 dwellings (2006-2026) and seek to have the SCT7 Policy figure amended to 2,100 dwellings. Should you wish to discuss any aspects of this minority report, please feel free to contact me on 01273 263236 or by email. Yours sincerely,
Wojtek Boden Director of Strategy
WZB-D20-16