Government proposed mandatory housing target sparks questions

The controlling group at Stafford Borough Council has once again come under fire for delays in bringing the latest Local Plan forward for the area – leading to fears it will become “open season” for developers.

The target number of new homes to be built in the borough is set to more than double as part of an overhaul of the national planning system being considered by the Labour government that came into power in July.

On Tuesday, the proposed increase from 358 new homes a year to 782 sparked questions from Conservative members at the borough council’s latest meeting. They also echoed concerns that have been raised at previous meetings about the time taken to progress the latest version of the borough’s Local Plan, which will cover the years between 2020 and 2040.
But the Labour councillor responsible for planning on the authority’s cabinet spoke of how the Local Plan process had been affected by significant policy changes brought about by the previous Conservative government. He also highlighted the impact on infrastructure in borough areas that had seen new housing developments in recent years, from rural Gnosall and Eccleshall to Marston Grange on the edge of Stafford.

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Councillor Frances Beatty, chair of the Economic Development and Planning Scrutiny Committee, said at Tuesday’s meeting:

“Due to the failure of the Labour, Independent and Green coalition to take forward any local plan – including the previous Conservative administration plan – to a Regulation 19 stage over the last 16 months, the new government’s mandatory housing targets and ‘top-ups’ will soon be applied. One of the consequences of this failure by the coalition to prioritise this important issue over the last 16 months is that 8,500 additional new homes in the borough – on top of those already planned – will have to be built during the next 20 years.

“Can the cabinet member for planning and regeneration please confirm where will the 8,500 further new homes be placed, as the new targets could be applied within months. Or is he going to allow the borough to become open season for any developer?

“Is this administration going to respond to the Labour government’s demand for an eye-watering 119% increase over and above the current ambitious targets that we had already set? And will we see the response in good time to comment on it?”

Councillor Ant Reid, cabinet member for planning and regeneration, responded:

“The new Local Plan Preferred Options consultation took place October to December 2022, but was immediately followed by significant changes proposed for the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), with major implications for our Local Plan. The revised NPPF was published by the Conservative government in September 2023, alongside primary legislation – the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act – which was enacted from 2023.

“Meanwhile, from May 2023 the borough council’s administration has taken time to carefully review and consider these changes for our area, as well as continuing to maintain an updated evidence base. I especially appreciate the information provided by the members opposite, some of whom debated against the plan at some length.

“When the current administration took over, it became clear the Preferred Options document was not sufficiently advanced to progress to adoption at that time. In any event, all local planning authorities across the country are currently considering the proposed mandatory housing targets and changes to the planning system.

“Sooner or later, when proposed housing targets are confirmed, these will need to be provided moving forward. We will continue to progress the new Local Plan using available resources in the most efficient and effective way.

“The country, and our own community, are living through a housing crisis. We have retired people who care currently unable to remain in their communities due to a lack of suitable housing, likewise local families who cannot.

“I must congratulate the former administration for continuing to pursue a policy of housing growth under the current plan period. However they were unable to also ensure that infrastructure kept pace with their huge housebuilding programme, with places such as Gnosall and Eccleshall groaning under the pressure.

“This administration is committed to ensuring new communities, which will perhaps last 100 years, are supported from day one with the appropriate infrastructure, and become places that people want to not only live but thrive. With regards to the latest Government consultation for mandatory housing targets, the borough council will be submitting a response by the September 24 deadline and it is anticipated that updated national policy guidance will be received by the end of the year, when an assessment of local implications can be considered.”