Passivhaus for Scotland

 This could be big!  How refreshing to see a government with some foresight.

To plan, or not to plan? That is the question.

As noted in earlier blog pieces, Horsham District's revised local plan (the Horsham District Local Plan 2022 – 39) Regulation 19 submission is edging closer towards public scrutiny.  Were it not for the intervention from the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities intervention on 5 & 6th December, the plan would have been published in the papers for cabinet on 15 December, where it was expected to be be approved, coming to full council on 11 January 2023.

However, all that we have for now is a statement from the council leader in response to a question that I asked at full council on 14 December (starts at 2h 01m in).  As the leader said in his response to my follow up question, decisions will be made in January 2023, so it's make your mind up time!  

On balance, for the reasons the leader stated, I think it is important to get a plan in place, especially as the Water Neutrality problem will significantly reduce planned housing numbers compared with those mandated by central government's Standard Methodology.  Whilst the drafts I have seen are, to my taste, not tough enough with regard to housing build standards (relying too much on central government methodology) and sustainable travel provision, I believe that there is enough there to work with and take forward.