On 9th November Richborough Estates, has submitted a response to the Government’s ‘Planning for the right homes in the right places’ consultation. The response was submitted on behalf of the Land Promoter and Developer Federation (LPDF) which is an association of land promoters and developers who share a common interest in assisting the Government in tackling the housing crisis that the country faces and welcomes opportunities to engage.
The consultation document covers a wide range of factors relating to the housing crisis, however the core purpose of the document is to introduce a proposed standardised methodology (PSM) for calculating the objectively assessed housing need (OAHN) for Local Planning Authorities across the country.
Richborough Estates, whilst agreeing with the principles of speeding up the Local Plan process, has raised significant concerns with the Government’s methodology. The primary concerns relate to:
- The inability for there to be a robust interrogation of whether the OAHN is appropriate for the Local Planning Authority;
- The lack of account given in the PSM to economic growth aspirations, particularly in areas that are already engaged in long-term economic growth and regeneration strategies such as the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ and ‘Midlands Engine’;
- The introduction of an unjustified 40% cap, which has no evidential basis and artificially limits the ability of areas to tackle the housing crisis; and
- The lack of flexibility that the PSM provides in meeting national housing targets.
We have also engaged with the Government on other elements of the document, including changes to the Duty-to-Cooperate, increasing planning fees and viability testing.
The full response submitted can be downloaded below.
If you have any queries relating to this matter then please contact Russell Crow
Government Consultation