Indeed, on 16th June, the PI’s office emailed a link to HDC’s updated ‘Housing Trajectory’ graph. Unbelievably, that trajectory shows an average of 1,087 new dwellings pa, over the next eight years. That is more than double the 453 pa average in the eight years prior to the recession, when UK GDP grew at around three per cent pa. That trajectory is unbelievable because average UK GDP growth is still running at well below three per cent pa, while the ratio between house prices and average salaries in Horsham District is around 13:1 - compared with a UK long term average of around 4:1. Since Horsham District is the eighth most expensive place for First Time Buyers (FTBs) outside of London, they will tend to live longer with parents, or to share equity with others, because they can’t afford to buy. Indeed, the Office of National statistics (ONS) reports that the fastest growing UK household types were ones containing two or more families and the target of 750pa clearly needs to be adjusted accordingly. It should be obvious that developers won’t build, if FTBs can’t buy their own properties. But the HDPF target still assumes (without market adjustment) that developers will build, according to the projected number of PEOPLE in the District - whether they can buy or not! A naïve assumption yes, but why does it matter? It matters because HDC will soon fall behind the 750 dwellings pa target, leaving the Planning Inspector to permit more indiscriminate development, often on green field land, putting local infrastructure under even more pressure. HDC should not set itself up to fail in this way and it should be challenging the 750pa target, asking for a market adjustment to be applied, as proposed by the Planning Minister. But who will stand up for residents, if HDC won’t? I have drawn the attention of Horsham MP Jeremy Quin and Arundel and South Downs MP Nick Herbert to the matter, hoping that they might insist on such an adjustment. Let’s see if they are listening. ROGER ARTHUR Melrose Place, Storrington __ Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live. Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be among the first to know what’s going on. 1 Make our website your homepage at www.wscountytimes.co.uk 2 Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wscountytimes 3 Follow us on Twitter @wscountytimes 4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here. And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out! The County Times – always the first with your local news. Be part of it.