November 25th, 2025.



The Leader of Lewes District Council has described the government’s housing targets as an ‘exercise in political theatre’.

The comments come as the council’s Cabinet prepares to discuss the next phase of consultation on the council’s local plan.

Local plans are evidence led, with the information gathered by council officers informing where development, such as new homes, employment space and community facilities, is appropriate and where it is not. Using the government’s method to identify housing need, approximately 15,000 are needed over the plan period to 2042. However, the council is putting forward a housing requirement of approximately 8,570 new homes during this period. This is based on the evidence and the special circumstances which affect the local plan area, such as landscape and infrastructure constraints.

Councillor Zoe Nicholson (pictured) said: “The government housing targets have as much to do with reality as the Loch Ness Monster.

“Councils are being set up to fail by politicians and civil servants in Whitehall and I’m not alone in that view, there’s a cross-party consensus on almost every district and borough council that we’re all being set up to fail.

“There is clearly zero consideration or interest in factors that limit development. In our case a border with the national park and environmental protections, the sea, and no government funding for the vast amounts of infrastructure needed for 15,000 new homes, or the actual social homes so desperately needed in our area.

“The targets are nothing short of a cynical Westminster exercise in political theatre.”

In addition to the housing requirement, the Local Plan must also address the climate and ecological emergencies, and the need for sustainable economic growth.

Councillor Laurence O’Connor, Cabinet Member for Planning at Lewes District Council, said: “This plan for new homes, alongside employment land, green infrastructure, and community facilities, follows rigorous assessment of every development constraint across the district.

“But I remain frustrated that we are dictated to by government, instead of being invited to work collaboratively with them. It’s no surprise that many residents will hold strong reservations about the details in the consultation document.

“I respect and understand those concerns, and we must demonstrate to the planning inspector that our conclusions are underpinned by the most thorough analysis. Without that, the examination of the local plan could bring deeply unfavourable consequences for the district that would last for years.

“It’s so important that people contribute to this consultation and that we make sure their voice is heard.”

Lewes district’s shared border with the South Downs National Park (SDNP), a nationally designated environmental asset, fundamentally limits the supply of available land, especially when considering that Lewes town is outside of the Lewes Local Plan area and falls within the SDNP.

Council officers are currently preparing a plan for consultation with residents that, subject to a Cabinet decision, is set to begin on December the 11th. More details will be shared in due course on the council website, council social media channels and in the local media.

Councillor Nicholson added: “The public consultation is a vital opportunity for residents to expose the absurdity of these targets, and I hope as many people as possible will make their views known.

“We know we need to build more homes, and we take that responsibility very seriously, but our district is also precious, it is not a blank canvas that the government can carve up on the back of empty promises about UK housing growth.

“We are preparing a plan that is ambitious yet realistic, balancing growth with sustainability, and protecting the unique character of Lewes district. That is what responsible leadership looks like.”

The Cabinet committee will meet on December the 11th.

 For more information visit www.lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk