Source · Select Committees · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 31
31
Accepted
Slow plan-making system prevents local plans from collectively meeting the 1.5 million housing target.
Recommendation
The Government can only begin to make significant progress towards its 1.5 million target once the sum of local housing need targets in Local Plans add up to that figure. Whilst the Government’s reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework seek to plan for approximately 370,000 new homes per year, local authorities will take several years to transition to this national annual target, as the currently Local Plans take seven years to produce and adopt on average. The Government has stated its ambition to introduce a 30-month plan-making timeline, but the relevant provisions in the Levelling- up and Regeneration Act 2023 to speed up plan-making have still not been implemented. (Conclusion, Paragraph 142)
Government Response Summary
Regulations commencing the new 30-month plan-making system will be laid in Parliament shortly, with the system coming into force early this year; new local plans will be expected to be adopted within 30 months and kept up-to-date.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
74. The Government notes the committee’s recommendation to move the plan making system to a 30-month timeline. Local plans play an essential role in the delivery of new homes. Regulations that will commence the new plan-making system will be laid in Parliament shortly with the new system coming into force early this year. New local plans will be expected to be prepared and adopted within 30 months and to then be kept up-to-date.