Every chance it could happen, the current government are re-opening the Oxford to Bedford line so there is a recent precedent. He is a good constituency MP (even people quoted in the We Want Falmer book admit that) and has a very good chance of getting re-elected.
You refer to the "council" delaying the building of the hotel - would this be the current Conservative administration on Lewes District (Lib Dems are the opposition) or the current Green administration on Brighton and Hove?