The Government has cut the number of new homes it wants built in East Sussex over the next five years.

Ministers propose that 2,290 new homes should be built in East Sussex annually, down from 2,333.

But the figure remains higher than the 1,873 suggested by the South East Regional Planning Conference, known as Serplan.

Across the South East, the number of homes which will be built has also been scaled down.

Ministers originally proposed 43,000 more homes a year for the region until 2016 to meet the needs of a growing population.

Environment Secretary John Prescott has now revised that figure to 39,000 a year until 2006.

East Sussex county councillor Roy Martin said: "Any crumb of news is good news about housing. It would have been better if it was 33,000 homes, but this is a reduction which is important."

But elsewere in the East Sussex, campaigners against plans to build up to 1,000 homes in Polegate and Willingdon said the Government hasn't gone far enough.

Eastbourne Liberal Democrat Parliamentary hopeful Chris Berry said: "We are already chock-a-block with houses. We have had a lot of new development and I feel we have taken our fair share.

"If more houses are built, pressure would be placed on services such as water supplies, doctors and with flooding such an issue at the moment we run an added risk."

Eastbourne Tory MP Nigel Waterson said the Government had undermined residents and regional planners.

He said: "The plain fact is that the Government is suggesting a slightly lower figure in the short term, but will accelerate to 43,000 in a few years' time."

In West Sussex the Government proposes that 2,890 houses are built every year, compared with Serplan's suggestion of 2,270.

Ministers have accepted it would be "neither feasible nor necessary" to insist on 43,000 homes a year before 2006, when this figure is expected to be back on the table.

Housing Minister Nick Raynsford said: "We are quite confident this is the right way forward."