You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
Local plans paused or withdrawn by 13 local authorities since housing targets change, land developers say
At least a dozen local authorities have paused or withdrawn their local plans since the government announced it would consult on housing targets at the end of last year.
The impact on council development plans was spelled out in a letter to the chair of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee in parliament by the Land Promoters and Developers Federation (LPDF).
The LPDF told the committee that it “canvassed a cross-section of our members and we have focused on a number of key concerns that we have which we feel will impact negatively on the preparation of local plans and on the delivery of much-needed housing”.
The LPDF identified nine key areas that the committee could focus on when scrutinising the proposals and questioning the government.
READ MORE
The letter was sent around a month after the government said it will “consult on how to better take account of local density” in housing targets, amid reports that it has caved in to pressure from backbench MPs to make them advisory.
It is possible further changes have been made to local plans since the letter was sent.
This announcement in December last year followed pressure from around 60 backbench MPs who tabled an amendment calling on the government to back down from its target to build 300,000 homes a year.
At the time, it was reported that housing secretary Michael Gove had written to MPs informing them that the targets will be a “starting point” and become “advisory”.
Research shared with the committee by the LPDF found 13 local plans had been paused or withdrawn since the announcement was made, in addition to the 30 that were already being amended or delayed.
Among the nine issues raised by the LPDF, a concern included the general tone of the document being too negative and an inconsistency of approach.
The LPDF pointed out that while the government said it “remains committed to delivering 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s”, many of the proposals set out in the documents will act counter to this objective.
The letter also raised the issue of green belt boundaries not being subject to review and warned that unless some areas are able to amend their boundaries, “housing delivery will never reach the government’s ambition and these areas will remain forever unaffordable”.
In response, Clive Betts, chair of the committee, said it was an issue that was increasingly being raised, and that it was a matter of great concern that the delay to local plans was a consequence of the government’s consultation.
Mr Betts also confirmed that the committee will look at the points raised by the LPDF as part of its scrutiny process.
