Councils push to submit local plans for examination in light of proposed planning policy reforms

The proposed NPPF amendments, which were detailed in a consultation launched last month, include the reintroduction of mandatory housing targets alongside a change that would make a council's inability to meet its housing need an 'exceptional circumstance' that should trigger a green belt boundary review.

In addition, the consultation suggests changes to the standard methodology for calculating housing need, which would lead to a substantial increase in the number of dwellings most councils would have to deliver.

Local plans submitted for examination up to June 2025 will be subject to the current NPPF.

In an 'additional meeting' for Winchester's cabinet brought forward in accordance with an 'urgency process' set out in the council's constitution, a planning officer for the city council said: "The Government is consulting on significant amendments to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and in particular on an emerging requirement for new housing which would result in the council needing to plan for a substantial increase in dwellings over the period of the new Local Plan.

"The Government consultation indicates this would not apply where a new Local Plan has been submitted for examination before the publication of the amended NPPF plus one month."

It added: "Given the advanced stage of work that the new Local Plan has reached, and the significant delay and cost if matters are not expedited at this juncture, Officers therefore have recommended that the new Local Plan be approved by Cabinet and the Council for publication and then submitted for examination as soon as practically possible."

According to the report, the standard method housing need figure for Winchester would increase from 676 dwellings per annum to 1,099 dwellings per annum, resulting in the need for an additional 5,000 dwellings or more dwellings over the lifetime of its plan.

Councillors went on to agree on the officer's recommendation to submit its regulation 19-stage local plan document for a six-week consultation before submitting the plan to the Government for examination.

In an extraordinary meeting at Uttlesford District Council late last month (30 July), councillors were similarly urged to advance their plan to the examination stage ahead of the proposed NPPF changes coming into play.

In a report, the council's strategic director of planning, Dean Hermitage, said: "The Labour manifesto indicated that there will be sanctions for councils that do not progress local plans. It has also committed to restoring mandatory housing targets for councils and reforming and strengthening the presumption in favour of sustainable development.

"The new Chancellor has stated the NPPF will shortly be updated and that the new Secretary of State for Levelling up, Housing & Communities will be writing to councils making clear that universal coverage of local plans and reviews of green belt boundaries 'will be expected of them'.

"As such, officers advise that the council should submit ahead of the current June 2025 deadline to be Examined under the current planning system."

Uttlesford's current local plan was adopted in 2005, making it one of the oldest adopted plans in England. 

Councillors agreed that the local plan regulation 19 document be published for an eight-week consultation ahead of being submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for examination.

The proposed reforms have also drawn criticism from Wirral Council, which is to host an extraordinary meeting on Monday (19 August) to raise concerns about the green belt amendments.

The council is in the process of developing a local plan that concentrates on building on the area's brownfield land in order to avoid construction on its green belt.

Under the proposed changes, the council would have to deliver 14,000 more homes over a 20-year period than it plans to deliver in its current draft local plan.

Councillors requesting the extraordinary meeting said: "As the facts have materially, and radically, changed, potentially affecting swathes of Wirral's Green Belt, we write to request an Extraordinary Council be called to agree our response to the Ministry's consultation on this change in formula, along with other changes to the National Planning Policy Framework."

A series of motions are to be discussed, including one brought forward by the council's planning chair, Cllr Stuart Kelly, which suggests the council declares the proposed standard method of calculation to be "flawed" and that it has "produced national targets which undermine local regeneration priorities".

The council's leader has also submitted a motion that says: "Council recognises the pressing need for new homes and understands the challenges of the UK's housing crisis for all local authorities, including Wirral.

"However, Council believes that protecting our Greenbelt and its regeneration plans should be a priority, ensuring that any new developments are sustainable and do not harm Wirral's Greenbelt."

Adam Carey