I firmly believe that the government's Standard Method for calculating housing needs is fundamentally flawed. The proposed figure of 14,020 dwellings seems overly simplistic and does not take into account the local context, including transport infrastructure, green spaces, and community services, which may not be able to cope with this rapid increase in population. Such an intense development plan risks the character of Example District and may lead to overcrowding, higher levels of pollution and a decline in the quality of life for existing residents. I urge the council to reassess these numbers based on a more comprehensive approach that incorporates the real-world implications for current inhabitants.

Furthermore, I think the 20% buffer is unnecessary, as it significantly inflates the projected housing figures at a time when our existing amenities are already stretched thin. We need to prioritise sustainable growth rather than yielding to developers’ demands for extra sites that could potentially ruin our district.

Finally, did the appraisal process conduct meaningful engagement with the community? It feels that many voices have been disregarded in this process, leading to an unbalanced plan that favourizes short-term development over long-term sustainability.