Planning’s professional body has called on the government to set out a ‘clear plan’ for how local councils can meet new housing targets.

The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) made the comments when it submitted its response to a consultation on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which closed this week.

It fears that a lack of a strategy could lead to local opposition to the government’s plans for 370,000 new homes per year.

Measures welcomed by the RTPI in its response included:

• Rolling back the most recent NPPF changes, as they made it too easy for some local authorities to avoid planning to meet their housing needs.
• A stronger requirement for local authorities to review their green belts where they can’t meet their housing needs.
• Changes to national policy on providing affordable housing, which give local authorities more scope to plan for the types of homes needed in their area.
• The shift to ‘vision-led’ transport planning, which offers the chance to move away from car dependency.

Victoria Hills, chief executive of the RTPI, said: “These proposals could create a more effective system that can help build the homes England needs, where they’re needed, and in a sustainable way.

“However, we must acknowledge their short and medium-term risks, particularly to new housing calculations that may not be achievable in some areas without genuine strategic planning.”

We are now awaiting the publication of NPPF revisions although it may not be for a number of months due to the number of comments received by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.

The full RTPI response is here and its call for a clear plan is here.

Please contact us to find out more about his could affect your plans or project.