Earlier this week, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up Housing and Communities, Michael Gove MP, released a Written Ministerial Statement regarding proposed radical changes to the National Planning Policy Framework, which is to be put out for consultation before Christmas. The headlines are that:
- a revised method for calculating local housing need could come to fruition, to allow more flexibility for local authorities to work with communities to determine how many homes could be built when considering genuine area-specific constraints such as Green Belt, National Parks, heritage assets, and character;
- to encourage local authorities to maintain and prepare up-to-date local plans, local authorities with up-to-date plans may not be obliged to maintain a five-year supply of housing. Those that are well-advanced in producing a new plan may have two years to revise their plan, and in the meantime, would only need to demonstrate a four year housing land supply;
- planning fees may be increased to support resourcing, with retrospective applications likely facing the highest charges;
- to encourage developers to build out housing schemes with planning permission, there could be more accountability for those who do not deliver, or family to deliver their legal commitments to the community; and
- there could be a re-emphasis on the 'brownfield first approach’ to planning, clarifying that local authorities would not be expected to review the Green Belt boundaries to deliver housing, proposed new funding for ‘unlocking’ brownfield land, and introduction a new Infrastructure Levy with lower rates for brownfield land.
DLBP will review the upcoming National Planning Policy Framework Prospectus when published to fully understand how the changes could affect existing and future development projects, particularly for new housing. If you have any questions about how the updates could affect your developments, then please get in touch.