More than 50 councils to get planning powers curbed following latest Housing Delivery Test results

Nearly all other councils in England, plus the London Legacy Development Corporation, delivered over 95% of their housing targets over the three-year period.

The four remaining authorities – Barrow-in-Furness, Isles of Scilly, Oxford and Redditch – did not receive a score.

This marks the first year that councils have been required to meet 75% of their development targets in order to avoid curbs on their planning powers.

Last year, councils only had to meet 45% of their three-year target and only eight councils were punished for failing to meet this threshold.

The newest data covers the three years up until April 2020. In recognition of the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on development in March last year, the government has reduced the ‘homes required’ within the 2019/20 period by one month.

In July, the Districts Councils Network (DCN), which represents 187 local authorities with housing and planning functions, called on the government to suspend the Housing Delivery Test for the duration of the pandemic.

Earlier this year, the government proposed changes to the way housing need is calculated within local authorities, but was forced to return to the drawing board following fierce opposition from Tory backbenchers, including former prime minister Theresa May.

The government has now decided to retain the current method for calculating housing need, but will apply a 35% uplift to the number generated for the 20 largest cities in England to meet its target of delivering 300,000 homes per year.

Following the release of today’s Housing Delivery Test results, housing minister Christopher Pincher urged local authorities to update their local plans, citing the fact that 40 of those that failed to meet 75% of their target had local plans that were more than five years old.

He said: “Despite the significant challenges caused by the pandemic, I know the majority of councils are doing all they can to build much-needed homes across England.

“I would like to thank them for the important work they do to deliver the homes, jobs and supporting infrastructure that make such a difference to their local communities.

“However, a number of councils are not keeping plans up to date and I urge them to avoid any unnecessary delays and maintain progress on plan-making.

“Local plans not only unlock land for development and ensure the right number of new homes are being built in the right places, they also provide local communities with an opportunity to have their say on how their local areas will change.

“It is critical work should continue to advance local plans through to adoption by the end of 2023 to help ensure that the economy can rebound strongly from the COVID-19 pandemic.”