Motion from Three Rivers District Council on current Government planning policy

Lib Dem Three Rivers sent this motion to the Secretary of State over current Government planning policy – the text of the letter and motion can be found below.


From: Three Rivers House

Northway

Rickmansworth

WD3 1RL

To: Rt Hon Michael Gove MP

House of Commons

London SW1A 0AA

My Ref: Com/Corr/DH 

Date: 11 November 2021

Contact: Committee Team

Telephone: 

Email: 

Department: Chief Executive

Dear Rt Hon Michael Gove MP,

Motion from Council Meeting

Set out below is a Motion passed by this Council at its meeting on Tuesday 19 October 2021, the contents of which are self-explanatory.

Motion

Council recognises that central Government’s National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF):

  1. Includes a formula for calculation of ‘Housing Need’ which is based on out-of-date forecasts and which leads to a higher figure for Three Rivers than would be the case with more recent data
  2. Gives powers to the Planning Inspectorate (an unelected quango) to approve or reject local plans based on achievement of the calculated ‘Housing Need’ figure
  3. Gives powers to the Planning Inspectorate to approve or reject appeals against refusal of planning permission based on achievement of the calculated ‘Housing Need’ figure
  4. Does not enable councils to argue that having only Green Belt sites available is an ‘exceptional circumstance’ justifying departing from the calculated ‘Housing Need’ figure
  5. Despite paying lip service to the protection of the Green Belt, in practice therefore requires councils to allocate future housing development sites in the Green Belt if all other options have been exhausted

Council notes:

  1. The very large number of responses to the recent “Regulation 18” consultation about its new Local Plan
  2. The high degree of concern expressed by residents across the district and by Councillors of all parties about the potential use of Green Belt land for future housing developments
  3. The recent Planning Inspectorate appeal decisions (including nearby examples in recent months in Colney Heath and Codicote) which have given permission for housing development in the Green Belt, despite the acknowledged harm caused, explicitly on the grounds that the local council could not demonstrate it had a plan to achieve its calculated Housing Need figures
  4. The recent letter from Daisy Cooper MP to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government calling for amendments to the NPPF to remove the ability of the Planning Inspectorate to use the standard calculation ‘Housing Need’ in assessing local plans and in deciding planning appeals
  5. The reply from the junior minister Christopher Pincher MP which states “we will continue to expect only the use of the 2014-based projections” and “it would not be appropriate for the Government to remove the ability of the Planning Inspectorate to use the standard method in examining Plans and deciding appeals.”

This Council therefore calls for changes to the NPPF to remove the ability of the Planning Inspectorate to use the standard calculation ‘Housing Need’ in assessing local plans and in deciding planning appeals, and resolves to;

  1. Write to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government setting out the Council’s position and calling for changes to the NPPF before the end of 2022 to remove the ability of the Planning Inspectorate to use the standard calculation of ‘Housing Need’ in assessing local plans and in deciding planning appeals and requesting confirmation when the changes will be enacted.
  2. Write to all MPs representing parts of the district and call on all those who have not already done so to write to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government supporting the council’s position that the NPPF must be amended before the end of 2022 to remove the ability of the Planning Inspectorate to use the standard calculation of ‘Housing Need’ in assessing local plans and in deciding planning appeals.

I have been asked to write to you, to bring these points to your attention, make you aware of the actions we intend to take and ask that you remove the ability of the Planning Inspectorate to use the standard calculation of ‘Housing Need’ in assessing local plans and in deciding planning appeals.

I look forward to your comments.

Yours sincerely,

Councillor Sarah Nelmes,

Leader of the Council

Three Rivers District Council