The number of houses built in Crawley has fallen below the annual target for the first time since 2015 due to water neutrality rules which stop development.

The council traditionally has an enviable record in relation to housebuilding. Since 2015, the number of homes built in Crawley exceeds the Local Plan target by 30 per cent. Of the 1,212 affordable homes were built in Crawley between 2015/16 and 2022/23 – 47 per cent of all homes built over the period, which exceeds the council’s 40 per cent target.

The council’s Authority Monitoring Report, which details annual performance against planning policies, shows that the delivery of new housing has dropped below the Local Plan target for the first time since it was launched nine years ago.

In 2022/23, only 190 homes were completed in the town instead of the target of 340. Only 78 affordable homes were built in that year, which is 57 per cent of the annual target.

The single biggest factor has been the imposition of water neutrality by Natural England because of the impact of water extraction on the local environment. This prevents any development or change of use that increases water usage in Crawley. It requires developers, including the council, to demonstrate water savings elsewhere before development can progress.

This is one of the reasons why the council unanimously declared a housing emergency in February of this year. This constraint on development, at a time when the need for additional housing in the town has never been higher, is having significant impact on those in greatest need within the town.

The council wrote to the government in March in relation to the housing emergency but has received no response to date.