Second council pauses local plan development over revised national planning policy framework

The local authority's draft local plan, which has undergone four rounds of consultation since 2020, was set to undergo its final round of consolation later this year, but the council has said it must now consider potential changes to the NPPF that could have "major implications" for the local plan.

The new Government announced on Tuesday that it wishes to amend the NPPF to reintroduce mandatory housing targets and change the standard method of calculation.

It also detailed potential changes to how Green Belt boundaries should be reviewed and formally defined 'grey belt' among a series of other reforms aimed at delivering its target of building 1.5 million more homes.

Commenting on the proposals, Cllr Mark Canniford, North Somerset Council's executive member for spatial planning, placemaking and economy, said: "The Government's planning reforms have major implications for our proposed Local Plan.

"The new standard method is 23,805 dwellings in North Somerset over the next 15 years – that's nearly 9,000 dwellings more than our current Local Plan target.

"This figure also doesn't take into account the needs of our neighbours, as the Government has asked all councils to work together to jointly address unmet need."

He said the council supports the Government's commitment to growth and meeting the housing need of its community, but the local authority wished to adopt a local plan "that also reflects the needs of our environment".

Cllr Canniford highlighted that around 85% of the council's area is either at risk from flooding, part of the Mendip Hills landscape, high-quality Green Belt, or protected in other ways for environmental or heritage reasons.

"This is a practical geographic constraint on the amount of development that's possible in North Somerset."

North Somerset appears to be the second local authority to pause its local plan-making process in relation to the proposed changes to the NPPF after Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council halted the development of its plan ahead of the consultation earlier this month.

Adam Carey