Wealden concerned about implications of new national planning policy framework.

Whilst Wealden District Council welcomes changes to the national planning policy framework (NPPF) to support climate change mitigation and adaptation it is concerned that the top-down housing target for the district has increased yet again.

In 2013, based on the constraints in the Wealden district, a planning inspector agreed that the right level of new housing up until 2027 should be 450 dwellings per annum. The new top-down target is now going to be over 1,400 per annum.

Further tinkering with the planning system will inevitably lead to delays to local plan production while we all work through the detail to make sure we do not fall foul of an ever more complex system.

Moving from a 4-year land supply requirement to a 6-year requirement means that, despite having a bank of rapidly approaching 9,000 dwellings approved in the district, we will likely see the power shifting back towards developers enabling them to choose where to get the next consent they might or might not build.

As a council we are not averse to granting planning permission, as shown by the scale of our consents book! We do, however, object to growth being allowed in the most sustainable locations only to see it remain on paper and not get built. This new NPPF means we may be forced by the system to grant further consents in less suitable places, by developers gaming the system.

Notes:

A revised National Planning Policy Framework was published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on Thursday setting out government’s planning policies for England and how these are expected to be applied. More information on this can be found at National Planning Policy Framework – GOV.UK