Reforms to the housing and planning system announced: CCN responds

Today the government has announced reforms to the housing and planning system, including a revised National Planning Policy Framework.

This includes proposals to re-introduce strategic planning, something which the County Councils Network has long called for. 

Below, the CCN responds to today’s announcements.

Cllr Richard Clewer, Housing and Planning Spokesperson for the County Councils Network, said:

“Today’s National Planning Policy Framework confirms that the government intends to bring back strategic planning, which is something the County Councils Network (CCN) has long called for. This should be implemented using the model put forward by the CCN, across whole county geographies, must be quickly implemented across the whole of England.

“It is vital that these planning reforms have an infrastructure first approach, with many county areas suffering from significant pressure on their local roads, health services and local amenities. Therefore, it is vital that strategic planning is implemented before councils are required to deliver on any proposed housing targets, because strategic planning will provide the most effective mechanism to outline what infrastructure is necessary to mitigate and enable development, and to propose the right areas for the right homes.

“The CCN will be consulting with its members on the new methodology for housing numbers, but we have always been clear that local authorities know their areas best and that housing should be fairly distributed across the entirety of the country. County areas have delivered 600,000 homes in the past five years – higher than the rest of the country combined. However, on face value, this new methodology assigns more to rural areas that currently do not have sufficient infrastructure and less to urban locations that have more readily available infrastructure.  

“A 50% target for affordable housing for green belt land is correct, but the government must ensure that this has teeth and that developers will be compelled to deliver on it. For those councils who currently have an up-to-date local plan, this should be the ‘gold standard’ of where homes should be built in an area, rather than proposals put forward outside of those designated locations, irrespective of their new housing target.

“CCN members will work proactively with the new government as they develop a long-term plan for housing, including tackling homelessness and delivering vital affordable homes.”