Gove鈥檚 latest announcement creates uncertainty and gives councils another excuse to pause local plans, says the Home Builders Federation
Michael Gove鈥檚 announcement yesterday of another consultation on reforming local plans risks creating more uncertainty and hitting housing delivery further, the Home Builders Federation (HBF) has warned.
The housing secretary confirmed the government will to make them 鈥渟impler, shorter and more visual鈥�.
But the HBF pointed out the government has yet to publish its response to a previous consultation on changes to national planning policy.
It also pointed out the cross-party levelling up, housing and communities committee of MPs last week urged the government to publish its 鈥渇inal package of planning reforms鈥� to give clarity to the industry.
An HBF spokesperson said: 鈥淎s the select committee noted and has requested, the government hasn鈥檛 yet responded to the last consultation and is now seemingly launching another major one.
鈥淚n announcing yet another consultation on local plan reform not only is the secretary of state ignoring both the committee鈥檚 recommendation of a period for stability and a request for a government response to the December consultation, but it is also providing recalcitrant local planning authorities with another excuse not to progress local plans, which will exacerbate further the decline in home building across the country.鈥�
>>See also:
>>See also:
Uncertainty around the government鈥檚 proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework has been a factor .
The proposed measures include dropping the requirement to review green belt land in order to deliver a local area鈥檚 housing need, dropping the duty to co-operate between authorities to deliver housing targets, and the setting out of a whole raft of other reasons why authorities might be able to justify not meeting the housing numbers produced by the government鈥檚 鈥渟tandard method鈥� formula.
A report by the levelling up, housing and communities committee last week said: 鈥淭he housing sector is hungry for clarity, consistency and certainty over the Government鈥檚 national planning policy. It is time for the government to present its final package of reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework, alongside its strategy to increase the rate of housebuilding through these measures.鈥�
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