Housing targets questioned in draft response to Government’s National Planning Policy Framework  

Shropshire Council has highlighted a number of concerns in its proposed response to the Government’s consultation on reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and associated planning system reforms – including an increase of nearly 1,000 new homes a year in the county as part of the Government’s proposals.

A report to the council’s Cabinet next week (Wednesday 11 September) outlines the draft response to the new NPPF which sets out the Government’s draft framework and invites councils and others to comment.

The current consultation proposes a new standard methodology for identifying housing need, which would significantly increase the housing need in Shropshire from 1,070 new homes per year to 2,059 a year, a figure the area has never achieved.

It is considered the proposed housing need figure could also see a jump in speculative applications by housing developers and the likelihood of more appeals against decisions by developers.

The council’s proposed response emphasizes: the importance of delivering the right number, type, size, and tenure of housing to meet the needs of local communities; the need to support economic growth: and that growth levels and locations consider high-quality design and impact on the environment.

The consultation also addresses other relevant areas, including the status of Green Belt, delivery of affordable housing, design of development, green energy, and employment.

Chris Schofield, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for planning and regulatory services, said:

“Our proposed response aims to ensure that the planned changes align with and support the achievement of sustainable development in Shropshire, in line with the council’s Shropshire Plan.

“While there are good points in the proposals to help boost growth, there is a real concern  about how housing need has been calculated and how achievable a target 1,000 homes a year higher is, when at best we achieve about 25% below this figure.

“Many town and parish councils in Shropshire already have Neighbourhood or Parish Plans or are committed to producing one. The draft NPPF risks superseding such plans, brushing aside the hard work, expertise, and expense that has already been invested.

“We want to support growth but this can’t be done by riding roughshod over local needs and views. We want to ensure that the proposed changes to the NPPF and associated planning system reforms benefit local communities and support sustainable development in the region.”

Once approved, Shropshire Council’s response to the NPPF will be submitted to the Government