PLANS to build tens of

thousands of new homes in East Sussex could cause the same kind of civil disorder witnessed during the building of the Newbury bypass, it has been claimed.

Coun Peter Jones, leader of East

Sussex County Council's Conservative group, said Government plans to increase the number of new homes in the county could lead to "civil unrest and force people to become lawbreakers".

The county council's structure plan suggested a maximum of 45,000 homes should be built in the county, including Brighton and Hove, by 2011.

But last month an independent panel set up by the Government said the county should accommodate 64,500 homes by 2016, 38 per cent above the council's forecast.

Coun Jones said: "I fear that people will be forced into all manner of action to try and protect their communities.

"We would prefer not to go through the sort of action which marked the building of the Newbury bypass."

The construction of the road in Berkshire led to numerous protests and dozens of arrests by environmental campaigners.

A motion by Coun Jones and fellow councillors to "take any lawful steps to frustrate the imposition of the higher numbers proposed by the panel" was proposed at a full council meeting yesterday.

It was passed with an amendment, moved by Coun Godfrey Daniel, which resolved to oppose the plan in a "constructive

manner".

Councillors from East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Councils are meeting tomorrow to discuss their response to the plan.

A Brighton and Hove Council spokesman said: "They're expected to report back to John Prescott saying we don't think the figures are realistic.

"The figures are equivalent to two more towns, a Bexhill added to a Crowborough. It's not practical to tack so many homes on to existing settlements or build a new town that size." West Sussex County Council's structure plan would have meant 45,900 homes being built in the county by 2011. Now the panel believes a total of around 87,000 should be built by 2016.

Graham Forshaw, leader of the authority's policy and resources committee, said: "West Sussex County Council is keenly aware if its responsibilities to help provide for the current and future needs of the people and businesses in the county.

"However, we also have a responsibility to promote policies that strike a balance between future prosperity and concerns for the quality of life."

The higher Government figures will go out to consultation next year.

Today, a new report by the Council for the Protection of Rural England warned housing planned for the region would stretch 11,000km or enough to line both sides of a road stretching from London to Hawaii.

The study is into the implications of housebuilding plans for 1.1 million extra houses to be built in south east England by 2016.

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