The announcement this week on an enhanced local Council role on Housing numbers is extremely positive. Currently water neutrality in any event presents a huge impediment to house building approvals in Horsham District but, were a long term deliverable mitigation be found on that issue, the approach outlined could have a real benefit in areas like ours with specific reasons as to why target numbers are extremely hard to meet. I am also delighted with the rebalancing of the relationship between locally elected councils and the planning inspectorate and particularly welcome the end of the vulnerability of local plans to developers over the issue of a “rolling five year land supply”.
There is a lot more work to do on this and consultations are also planned. It is also important to recognise that nationally we do need new homes: even with the focus on levelling up and the kind of brownfield urban development that has already transformed central Manchester, new homes will still be needed around the country to provide opportunity including for local people. However the policy approach is practical and important.
Last Saturday marked ‘Small Business Saturday’; an annual campaign that champions and celebrates small businesses. This year was the 10th year of the initiative in the UK and it was great to see young entrepreneurs from local schools mark the occasion by selling their products at the Young Enterprise Trade Fair in the Carfax. To coincide with the campaign, Horsham District Council launched its new Business Training Programme which will offer a variety of workshops to existing or potential independent small businesses based in the District.
New Ordnance Survey data shows that there were 9% more eating and drinking businesses in Horsham in March 2022 than March 2020; more than double the increase nationally. In addition, there was a 4% increase in retail shops in Horsham over the same period, bucking the national trend. It is so good to see new shops and restaurants opening and expanding in Horsham after a difficult period of Covid restrictions.