Gavin Barwell has offered assurances over concerns raised by MPs relating to the Neighbourhood Planning Bill
The Neighbourhood Planning Bill came under scrutiny earlier this week. The Bill is making its way through the House of Commons and Lords through the legislative process.
Neighbourhood planning was introduced through the Localism Act 2011 and remains a vital facet of the government’s manifesto to give more say to local people. The government believes giving communities a measure of control over local affairs boosts local housing supply, with recent analysis showing areas with plans in force have on average 10 per cent more homes planned than those set out by local planning authorities.
However, a number of concerns have been raised by MPs as the Bill made its way through the Commons earlier this week. In a statement released on Tuesday, Housing and Planning Minister Gavin Barwell offered assurances that these worries would be addressed.
Amendments tabled
A number of amendments to the Bill have been tabled. This included one that would see local planning authorities consult neighbourhood planning bodies on decisions to grant planning permissions.
Barwell said: “The Government confirms that where a planning application conflicts with a neighbourhood plan that has been brought into force, planning permission should not normally be granted.
“However, communities who have been proactive and worked hard to bring forward neighbourhood plans are often frustrated that their plan is being undermined because their local planning authority cannot demonstrate a five-year land supply of deliverable housing sites.
“This is because Paragraph 49 of the National Planning Policy Framework states that if the local planning authority cannot demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites relevant policies for the supply of housing should not be considered up-to-date, and housing applications should be considered in the context of the presumption in favour of sustainable development.
“As more communities take up the opportunity to shape their area we need to make sure planning policy is suitable for a system with growing neighbourhood plan coverage.
“Building on proposals to further strengthen neighbourhood planning through the Neighbourhood Planning Bill, I am today making clear that where communities plan for housing in their area in a neighbourhood plan, those plans should not be deemed to be out-of-date unless there is a significant lack of land supply for housing in the wider local authority area.
“We are also offering those communities who brought forward their plans in advance of this statement time to review their plans.”
Community plans should be protected
Barwell said policies for the supply of housing in a neighbourhood plan should not be deemed out of date under paragraph 49 of the National Planning Policy Framework if the following circumstances arise at the time the decision is made:
- This written ministerial statement is less than 2 years old, or the neighbourhood plan has been part of the development plan for 2 years or less;
- the neighbourhood plan allocates sites for housing; and
- the local planning authority can demonstrate a three-year supply of deliverable housing sites.
Barwell concluded: “It is, however, right to take action now to protect communities who have worked hard to produce their neighbourhood plan and find the housing supply policies are deemed to be out-of-date through no fault of their own.”
The Neighbourhood Planning Bill is now moving through the House of Lords and is expected to undergo the second reading phase by the weekend.
Meanwhile, the sector still awaits the anticipated White Paper on Housing. The Department for Communities and Local Government had been expected to publish the document at the time of the Autumn Statement last month, but this did not happen. It is now expected to be delivered in “due course”.
