CAMPAIGNERS have warned the Sussex countryside is in “grave peril” after the Government demanded more homes be built.

Mid Sussex District Council had proposed building 800 homes per year over the next 17 years as part of its district plan.

But a Government inspector has rejected the figure and ordered it to build a minimum of 1,026 each year.

Campaigners have slammed the decision and said the target will be impossible to meet.

Michael Brown, Mid Sussex representative for the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), said: “If the council is to meet its ridiculous new target it will have to sacrifice the proper scrutiny of the environmental consequences of developing right across Mid Sussex’s countryside in order to squeeze in new developments in wholly inappropriate locations.

“Mid Sussex’s rural character is in grave peril.”

Government planning inspector Jonathan Bore was called in to scrutinise the council’s plan for 800 homes and he released his findings earlier this week.

He said Mid Sussex needs to help make up for neighbouring Crawley’s unmet housing target.

While further meetings will be held on his findings, he refused to be swayed on his conclusion.

He said: “Housing matters have been thoroughly researched and discussed and I do not consider that the outcome of future hearings will affect my interim findings on the housing requirement to any significant degree.”

Kia Trainor, director of CPRE, said he feared the consequences of the local authority not being able to keep up with the target.

He said: “If the council fails to maintain its supply of sites for housing then its plan will fail and many elements of the plan will be rendered ‘out of date’ allowing speculative developers to cherry pick sites. It is a slap in the face for communities.”