Developers East Sussex minutes: 12 March 2024

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Meeting details

Date: 12 March 2024

Time: 2pm

Location: Microsoft Teams

See the list of attendees and apologies for this meeting.

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1. Welcome and introductions

1.1  JBu welcomed the attendees to the meeting.

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2. Review of previous minutes, 9 January 2024

2.1  There were no actions from the previous meeting to review.

2.2  The minutes were approved as an accurate record of the meeting.

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3. Market conditions / open forum

3.1  The group discussed the current state of the market and the ongoing issues around the supply of materials, labour shortages, price increases etc.

3.2  The sales market, which had seen an unexpected lift in December/January, has continued to perform well and remain buoyant through the early part of this year. March has been a little quieter, but still a great improvement overall.

3.3  In terms of build, there are no obvious supply chain issues apparent, largely due to developers lowering their forecast outputs last year (as previously reported to DES). Overall build-cost is still under pressure, for many reasons, but commodities costs are okay.

3.4  The affordable housing market continues to show no obvious signs of change, with Housing Associations having a limited appetite and capacity to engage with S106 requirements, and discussions increasingly using the language of ‘market failure’. BHr advised that the next Affordable Housing Roundtable forum is scheduled for 18 April 2024; an invitation will be circulated in the coming weeks.

3.5  Commercial enquiries remain consistent, mainly from small/micro businesses who are now appreciating that although costs have increased, new builds are more efficient so running costs should be reduced. There has also been an uplift in DBT (Department of Business and Trade) relocation enquiries. Completed units, ready to occupy, remain in demand.

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4. Low Carbon Commitments

4.1  JA provided a brief introduction to the topic of Low Carbon Commitments, asking colleagues to consider the issues, blockages and opportunities, and to think about what would help bring forward better low carbon developments, in order to build a full picture.

4.2  The topic will be covered in more detail at the next DES meeting, so JA posed two specific questions for DES colleagues to consider in the meantime.

Action: Ahead of the next DES meeting, DES colleagues to consider:

• What would incentivise housing developers to bring forward new housing supply at a higher level of energy performance than that strictly required under planning conditions or building regulations?
• Aside from the additional costs associated with the building fabric and low-carbon heating solutions, are there other barriers that developers identify as preventing the development of new builds at these higher rates of energy efficiency?

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5. Hastings Town Centre Regeneration

5.1  PD provided some background to the regeneration activity taking place in Hastings Town Centre and the opportunities it presents moving forward. Hastings BC has been working with Homes England (HE) over the past year, so the work is aligned to HE’s recently revised approach (published last summer), which means it’s a much broader church to include wider investment opportunities, and is not just about housing development.

5.2  SN delivered a presentation on the Strategic Regeneration and Investment Framework (SRIF) being developed, which aims to provide a more coordinated, strategic approach to help guide new public/ private sector investment in the town centre.

5.3  PD advised that as part of stakeholder engagement, a discussion forum is being set up involving developers, so DES is invited to be an integral part of that process. The intention is for the group to operate quite long term, so sustained commitment to the process would be necessary.

5.4  DES colleagues commended the approach and were keen to get involved. BHr and PD agreed to discuss the next steps in terms of setting up the forum, and to circulate an invitation as appropriate.

Action: BHr and PD to discuss setting up a Hastings Town Centre Regeneration discussion forum, and to circulate an invitation to DES colleagues.

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6. DLUHC / Homes England engagement

6.1  JBu reminded the group that a monthly call is held with officials from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), which is extremely useful for the sharing of information and raising the issues being discussed at DES. As always, DES colleagues are encouraged to get in contact with any particular points to raise.

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7. Local Planning Authority (LPA) updates

7.1  Officers provided updates on the progression of their Borough and District Councils’ Local Plans. Wealden DC agreed its Draft (Regulation 18) Local Plan document at a Full Council meeting last month, so the Reg 18 consultation period will run from 5pm Friday 15 March to 5pm Friday 10 May 2024. The consultation will include a virtual exhibition plus a series of face-to-face exhibitions across the district. Rother DC is working to a similar timeline, with its Reg 18 consultation to run between mid-April and July 2024. Both Wealden and Rother expect to progress from ‘Draft’ to ‘Proposed Submission’ (Regulation 19) next year. Lewes DC’s Reg 18 consultation closed last month, and Eastbourne BC is about to relaunch work on its Local Plan, aiming to reach a Reg 19 Plan by the end of the year. Due to its upcoming local elections, Hastings BC cannot launch any new consultations until after May 2024, so is expecting to conduct its Reg 19 Local Plan consultation during Q2 of 2024/25.

7.2  SR commented that Wealden DC has been leading the charge on foul water, and is starting to push back to Southern Water on discharging some of the Grampian style planning conditions. If this affects any DES colleagues, please reach out to Wealden DC officers who are happy to discuss.

7.3  JBu advised that a training session was held earlier this month for Rother DC Members. The ‘question time’ format, with a panel to answer Members’ questions, went extremely well. The same offer is open to all authorities if other Councillors/Members would find it useful.

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8. AOB (any other business)

8.1  MC advised that the evidence base for the new East Sussex Housing Strategy is still being compiled, and consultation events will be pulled together soon. More information will be provided at the next DES meeting.

8.2  IS noted that a recent report from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) made reference to estate service charges, with guidance on reducing those charges, and suggested it as a topic for discussion at a future DES meeting. BHr recalled that DES has covered ‘Stewardship and Estate Charging’ at a previous meeting (October 2022), but can again look at it when agenda planning. PT added that the SELEP Housing and Development group set up a subgroup to consider this exact topic, and he’s happy to liaise. More information can be found on the Essex Developer Group website.

8.3  JBu advised that a new Economic Growth Strategy for the county is being developed by East Sussex County Council, and a draft has been produced. Comments from DES members are very welcome, so the draft will be shared in the coming days along with an ‘e-survey’ link to provide feedback.

8.4  JBu ran through some of the topics to be covered at the next few DES meetings, including Low Carbon Commitments, Biodiversity Net Gain and an annual Housing Stats update. He also suggested the group revisit the possibility of holding face-to-face DES meetings. If there’s interest, they’ll be added into the schedule (perhaps twice a year), but colleagues will need to offer their venues to host those meetings.

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Summary of actions

4.2 - Ahead of the next DES meeting, DES colleagues to consider:

• What would incentivise housing developers to bring forward new housing supply at a higher level of energy performance than that strictly required under planning conditions or building regulations?
• Aside from the additional costs associated with the building fabric and low-carbon heating solutions, are there other barriers that developers identify as preventing the development of new builds at these higher rates of energy efficiency?

5.4 - BHr and PD to discuss setting up a Hastings Town Centre Regeneration discussion forum, and to circulate an invitation to DES colleagues.

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Attendees and apologies

Attendees

• AF, Amy Fearn, Rother DC
• BB, Beverley Bayliss, East Sussex CC
• BHk, Ben Hook, Rother DC
• BHr, Brian Horton, SELEP
• BP, Brett Pearson, Locate East Sussex
• CBu, Craige Burden, Barratt David Wilson Homes
• CH, Chris Hancock, Hastings BC
• CM, Chris Moore, Bellway Homes
• DE, Dave Evans, East Sussex CC
• DF, Duncan Flynn, Surrey Development Forum
• DG, Derek Godfrey, Westcotte Leach
• DMh, David Maher, Dandara
• DMr, David Martin, Stiles Harold Williams Partnership
• ED, Emma Davies, Redloft
• EP, Erica Peck, Rydon Homes
• GF, Gemma Forshaw, Wealden DC
• GQ, Graeme Quinnell, Rother DC
• HF, Hayley Frankham, Wealden DC
• IS, Ian Scott, Town & Country Housing Group
• JA, Jim Aspdin, Southdown
• JBr, Joseph Brown, Hastings BC
• JBu, Jonathan Buckwell, DHA Planning (CHAIR)
• JH, Jonathan Hugo, Berkeley Homes
• JMe, Joshua Mellor, Stantec
• JMu, Joan Mumo, L and G Affordable Homes
• JPo, Joe Powell, Rother DC
• JPy, Jeff Pyrah, Rother DC
• JR, Jason Roberts, Wealden DC
• JS, John Stebbings, Thakeham
• KB, Kim Bloxham, East Sussex CC
• KC, Kirsty Castle, Batcheller Monkhouse
• KE, Kemi Erifevieme, Rother DC
• MB, Mark Bewsey, DHA Planning
• MC, Michael Courts, East Sussex CC
• MS, Maddi Simpson, Hallam Land Management
• PD, Pranesh Datta, Hastings BC
• PF, Paul Flatt, Homes England
• PT, Paul Thomas, Development Land Services Ltd / SELEP
• RT, Ryan Trodden, DLUHC
• SC, Simon Collins, Jones Homes
• SH, Susan Hanson, Hastings BC
• SN, Steve Norris, Lambert Smith Hampton
• SR, Stacey Robins, Wealden DC
• YM, Yvonne Mills, Rentplus

Apologies

• CBr, Chris Broome, Sea Change Sussex
• ES, Edward Sheath, East Sussex CC
• ET, Ed Tibbetts, Orbit Homes
• GH, Gary Hall, Eastbourne BC / Lewes DC
• MO, Matthew Oliver, Vistry Homes
• RW, Richard White, Southern Housing
• SJ, Shona Johnstone, Homes England

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