I write to express my strong objection to the allocation of 125 extra houses in Loxwood for the period 2019/2035 as proposed in the draft Chichester District Council (CDC) Local Plan.
Under the terms of the Loxwood Neighbourhood Plan 2013/2029, the village has already accepted the addition of 60 houses on two sites within the village in accordance with the earlier requirements from CDC and many of the villagers understood that this arrangement was made in good faith in accordance with those requirements. Some 43 of those houses are currently being built out and the additional 17 are the subject of continued delay on an already identified site.
From information provided to me, I understand that this latest allocation of a further 125 homes has arisen from CDC reassessing the District's requirements. Whilst understanding that requirements change, I find it concerning that such an increase can be imposed so soon after procedures had been followed to establish the Village's planning needs for a fifteen year period.
I understand that Loxwood has been identified as one of a number of "Service" Villages within the District and as such has to bear a share of this new requirement but the manner of allocation of such a significant number appears totally arbitrary and capricious, given the number of such villages between which the allocated increase could be shared.
In view of the above I feel that a much lower number of houses should be allocated to Loxwood and that such a lower number should be set at a level to be sustainable. In this context Loxwood already has significant challenges particularly relating to its infrastructure needs in the already established lack of proposals by Southern Water to improve capacity for Sewage disposal before 2025 (already providing a challenge for existing development). Further, a daily bus to Guildford does not provide a viable public transport system (no practicable return) and there are very limited, if any, opportunities to expand the local labour force to provide further employment opportunities of any significant scale.
Whilst accepting the need for a nationwide increase in housing stock, I must protest that your current draft plan is inequitable in the numbers allocated to Loxwood and in the light of my points above should be amended to reflect a reduction of the proposed 125 houses to a manageable number reflecting the capacity of the village to absorb the same.