Unrealistic housing figures and vague guidance would make a mockery of the Government’s wish to have a plan-led planning system in East Hampshire.
That’s the view of EHDC Leader Cllr Richard Millard in his latest letter to the Government on planning policies that threaten to swamp parts of the district with new homes.
Read our correspondence with the Government
As soon as the new Government was in place, Cllr Millard wrote to Angela Rayner MP, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government, calling for changes to the way housing demand is calculated in areas containing national parks and other development constraints.
The Government’s reply, not from Angela Rayner MP but from Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, points to a consultation on proposed changes to the planning rules that would, among other things, dramatically increase the number of homes in parts of East Hampshire outside the South Downs National Park.
Find out more about the Government's consultation on planning
The letter states the country is in ‘one of the most acute housing crises’ in living memory, making home ownership out of reach for too many, driving high rents and leaving the most vulnerable without a safe and secure home.
In his response Cllr Millard said: “It is extremely important to boost the supply of housing to meet the needs of residents with the right housing in terms of size, type and tenure, as well as providing homes that are affordable and suitable for different groups in the community.
“However, meeting these needs should not be at the expense of the natural and built environment, therefore, the amount of housing needed should be realistic.
“I urge the Government to reconsider its proposals and set out an appropriate alternative for places like East Hampshire, which is so impacted by another local planning authority that has such a restrictive status in its ability to meet its needs.”
He states that the current guidance for areas affected by national parks is too vague, forcing the council to commission costly specialist consultants to calculate EHDC’s housing demand from the South Down’s National Park’s.
“The lack of clarity not only delays the plan-making process and increases the cost burden on EHDC, but also puts the council in a vulnerable position at examination.”
He said: "Delays provide further opportunities for a considerable amount of speculative development on isolated sites without any supporting infrastructure, whilst the high housing requirement is likely to make it very difficult to maintain a sufficient land supply in accordance with national policy.
“A further consequence of the proposed changes to the standard method is therefore the likelihood of additional speculative development shortly after the adoption of a new local plan. These proposed changes threaten to make a mockery of having a genuine ‘plan-led’ planning system in places like East Hampshire.”