Councillors said that their hands were tied when it came to allocating greenfield sites for housing in Brighton and Hove.
They blamed government planning laws for putting the sites at risk of development as Brighton and Hove City Council’s 10-year planning blueprint cleared its latest hurdle.
Labour and Green councillors spoke at a virtual meeting today (Thursday 23 April) about how the national planning laws required Brighton and Hove to “leave no stone unturned” when seeking sites for new homes.
And they voted through the blueprint known as City Plan Part Two so that the public could be consulted before the plan is submitted to the government.
It includes policies aimed at boosting homes and jobs while protecting the environment.
The Conservatives and one Independent councillor voted against it.
The most controversial proposals are for sites on Brighton and Hove’s “urban fringe” where more than 900 homes could be built on 16 sites on or near the edge of the Downs.
Labour and Greens took turns to criticise Conservatives councillors for speaking publicly about protecting open spaces without putting forward effective amendments to the plan or lobbying the government to change the law.
Labour councillor Nick Childs, the deputy chair of the council’s Planning Committee, urged the public to get involved in the final consultation process.
Councillor Childs said: “I recognise that allocating even a small number of urban fringe sites is controversial.
“Indeed, I have been open about my very strong sympathies with campaigners and my personal opposition to development on urban fringe sites. ”
He referred to a former Conservative planning minister for forcing councils to build on areas against the wishes of local people.
Then he reminded councillors of the Chancellor’s comments in his recent budget that there would be “firm consequences” for councils that did not meet local housing need.
Councillor Childs said: “I condemn such undemocratic proscriptions that seek to force our city to build on some urban fringe sites but it is within such an authoritarian planning framework that we must operate.
“If we fail to identify a very small number of such sites, we risk our entire urban fringe being up for grabs and that is not something that this administration is prepared to allow.”
The 10-year plan identifies seven strategic sites including Brighton General Hospital, in Elm Grove, the engineering depot, in New England Road, land in Lyon Close, Hove, and the Sackville Trading Estate and coal yard, Hove, where more than 800 homes have been given planning permission.
