Source · Select Committees · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Seventh Report - Reforms to national planning policy
Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
HC 1122
Published 14 July 2023
Recommendations
3
Rejected
Para 21
Government lacks clear planning reform timetable and fails to evaluate past NPPF changes.
Recommendation
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. …
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Government Response 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.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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10
Rejected
Para 40
Set out proportions of different housing tenures, including 90,000 Social Rent homes annually
Recommendation
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 …
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Government Response 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.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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12
Rejected
Conduct national review of Green Belt purpose to assess brownfield development suitability
Recommendation
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 …
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Government Response 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.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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14
Rejected
Para 58
Abolish the urban uplift and implement a single needs-based standard method formula
Recommendation
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 …
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Government Response 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 the uplift.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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