Nusrat Ghani, MP for Wealden, continues to support Wealden District Council and local parish councils in making representations to the Housing Secretary, The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, and has supported the Leader of the Council, Ann Newton in calling for a further meeting regarding the current housing targets for Wealden.
Following years of previous meetings with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), Nusrat led a parliamentary debate in March this year to raise the issues surrounding housing delivery in Wealden and urged the Minister to review current targets. Since then, Nusrat facilitated several follow up meetings between Wealden District Council (WDC) leaders and Ministers, during which it was stressed to the Department that the current numbers for Wealden are too high, ignore the constituency’s environmental constraints and are not accompanied by a meaningful delivery of infrastructure.
Nusrat continues to make representations to the Department and supported WDC Leader Ann Newton’s recent letter congratulating the Secretary of State on his recent reappointment to the role and extending an invitation to visit Wealden to review housing delivery expectations for the district.
As part of an ongoing, concentrated campaign to address the high number of homes Wealden is obliged to provide under current guidelines, Nusrat convened a further meeting between East Sussex MPs and representatives of various parish councils from across Wealden, Rother and Lewes districts, which took place today (Tuesday 15th November). During this meeting, the MPs engaged with the concerns of several parish councils and provided assurance that representations to the Housing Department will continue to be made.
Nusrat Ghani said: “From my surgeries, meetings and casework, I know the feelings of local residents on current housing targets for Wealden. While I recognise that we do need more appropriate and affordable homes for local people, I appreciate that the numbers for Wealden in particular are unfeasibly high. I have had many meetings over the last seven years with the Department of Housing and I continue working with the Leader of Wealden District Council, local Parish Councils and my East Sussex parliamentary colleagues on making representations to Housing Ministers and bringing the level of frustration at the current housing targets for Wealden to the Government’s attention. I welcome the Secretary of State back in his role and I look forward to continuing working with him to get the situation improved for Wealden.”
