Government action on Local Plans

With current housing completions falling short of the government’s target of 300,000 by the mid-2020s, Housing Secretary Sajid Javid has written to 15 local authorities warning them of intervention.

Following continued failure to produce a local plan, these authorities have been warned the government will intervene.

Local Plans are seen as key to setting out how and where local authorities expect to meet residents’ needs for new homes, and are a key part of the government’s comprehensive programme of planning reform and targeted investment to ensure the homes local communities need are built.

The authorities had to the end of January to submit a plan or provide an explanation as to why, government is now setting out the next steps.

• In Castle Point, Thanet, and Wirral, the government’s Chief Planner and a team of experts will be sent in to assess if the government needs to take over the process of producing the local plan
• Northumberland Council has been instructed to produce their plan earlier and to make the timetable clearer
• In Basildon, Bolsover, Brentwood, Calderdale, Eastleigh, Mansfield, St Albans, which have all committed to publishing draft plans before the end of September 2018, the government has made clear it will monitor their progress and any further significant delay will lead to intervention
• Four of the local authorities – Liverpool, North East Derbyshire, Runnymede, York – have since published their plans

Housing Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Whilst most councils rightly recognise their responsibilities and most have worked hard to meet the housing challenge, some have failed.

“I expect those authorities we identified in November to continue to make progress. I’m also stepping it up with three councils in particular, sending in a team of experts to make a direct assessment, ensuring they plan properly for the future or we’ll have to do it for them.”

A procurement process is currently underway to secure planning consultants and specialists who will swiftly undertake the work on plan production should these councils not comply in the time required.

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