Recommendation 15

We think the Government’s abandonment of its proposed formula for determining housing need is the correct decision. There remains a need for additional information about how the Government’s revised approach, announced in December 2020, might work in practice. This is especially important given the proposed urban uplift for 20 urban centres The Government should: • Provide an explanation of what criteria were used by the Government to both identify the 20 urban centres being subject to the uplift, and the scale of the uplift. The future of the planning system in England 103 • Clarify the rationale for the local targets in those places subject to ‘urban uplift’, given the need to also consider geographical barriers such as the seas and rivers, Green Belt and other protected places, and the availability of brownfield sites. The Government should set out the impact on the Green Belt in areas where there will be urban uplift. • Reconsider the increase proposed for London, in light of its lack of feasibility, especially given the need to protect important Metropolitan Open Land, and the potential impact of COVID on patterns of commuting and work • Explain how it will ensure that its new approach does not lead to a significant reduction in the annual construction of dwellings in northern England and the Midlands