Recommendations & Conclusions
4 items
3
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Reforms to national pl…
Rejected
The Government has not been clear on the timetable for its many planning consultations and when its reforms will be implemented. Nor has the Government sufficiently evaluated the impact of its past NPPF changes to inform its current reform proposals. There is a strong case that the Department should conduct …
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The Government has not been clear on the timetable for its many planning consultations and when its reforms will be implemented. Nor has the Government sufficiently evaluated the impact of its past NPPF changes to inform its current reform proposals. There is a strong case that the Department should conduct impact assessments of past NPPF changes, which would inform future reform proposals. Given that the Department is currently considering 26,000 responses to the December 2022 consultation, and is conducting at least nine further consultations on planning reform, we do not believe resource constraints should prevent the Department from conducting these impact assessments.
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Government response AI summary
The government implicitly rejects the call for comprehensive impact assessments of past NPPF changes, citing resource constraints for its targeted and proportionate approach to evaluation, while stating it will continue to consider the potential impact of proposed changes.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
10
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Reforms to national pl…
Rejected
We reiterate our previous recommendation from our report on the future of the planning system in England (2021) that the Government should set out the proportions of different types of tenure that will make up the 300,000 net new homes per year, in order to encourage local planning authorities to …
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We reiterate our previous recommendation from our report on the future of the planning system in England (2021) that the Government should set out the proportions of different types of tenure that will make up the 300,000 net new homes per year, in order to encourage local planning authorities to give greater importance in planning for Social Rent homes. We believe that this should include a national housing target for 90,000 Social Rent homes per year.
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Government response AI summary
The government maintains that it is for local authorities to identify the size, type, and tenure of housing needed locally, and does not commit to setting national proportions or a specific target for social rent homes.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
12
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Reforms to national pl…
Rejected
We reaffirm our previous recommendation from our report on the future of the planning system in England (2021) that a national review of the purpose of the Green Belt should assess the circumstances where brownfield sites within the Green Belt should be considered for development. Local Green Belt boundary reviews …
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We reaffirm our previous recommendation from our report on the future of the planning system in England (2021) that a national review of the purpose of the Green Belt should assess the circumstances where brownfield sites within the Green Belt should be considered for development. Local Green Belt boundary reviews should continue to be conducted by local authorities as part of their local plan-making process. (Paragraph 46) Calculating local housing need
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Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation for a national review of the Green Belt, stating it has no such plans and is committed to protecting and enhancing the Green Belt, while promoting brownfield land use.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
14
Recommendation
Seventh Report - Reforms to national pl…
Rejected
The Government should abolish the urban uplift when it reviews the standard method in 2024. Instead, a single standard method formula that accounts for local housing need and capacity should apply to all local authorities. The revised formula should be based on future local need, with a focus on regenerating …
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The Government should abolish the urban uplift when it reviews the standard method in 2024. Instead, a single standard method formula that accounts for local housing need and capacity should apply to all local authorities. The revised formula should be based on future local need, with a focus on regenerating local areas and delivering 38 Reforms to national planning policy more affordable housing, rather than focussing housebuilding in areas where economic activity is already high. The standard method must work towards delivering net 300,000 new homes per year in England.
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Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation to abolish the urban uplift, defending its purpose in directing homes to urban centers and supporting levelling up. It intends to review the standard method for assessing housing needs following the 2021 Census data but does not commit to abolishing …
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government