Agenda item

Note – the status of Neighbourhood Plans in the District may be found via this link

https://www.west-lindsey.gov.uk/my-services/planning-and-building/neighbourhood-planning/

Members heard from the Development Management Team Manager that the new Government had made planning reform a priority and on 30July, published its proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) along with wider planning changes. The consultation will close at 11.45pm on Tuesday 24September 2024, and officers were currently reviewing the consultation in preparation of a response. See Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Whilst the changes were widespread, some of the key headlines are as follows:

·         The return of mandatory housing requirements, using the Government’s new Standard Method. Under the Government’s proposed methodology, the Central Lincolnshire Annual housing requirement would rise from 1,054 to 1,676 dwellings per year (?59%).

·         Under its transitional arrangements, it proposes that Local Plans at early stages of preparation “should be prepared against the revised version of the NPPF and progressed as quickly as possible”. As the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan was adopted in April 2023, this would apply to the next version as it commences preparation.

·         The reintroduction of requiring a five-year housing land supply (with 5% buffer to “to ensure choice and competition in the market for land”).

·         Amendments to green belt policy (n.b. West Lindsey does not currently include any green belt designated land)

·         Local Character and design coding: Rather than district-wide design coding, the government proposes to focus on the preparation of localised design codes, masterplans and guides “for areas of most change and most potential”.

·         Planning fees: increase fees for householder applications to meet cost recovery levels, with possible increases for other applications and other planning services (but still no proposal to ring-fence). The government are also looking at allowing local authorities to recover their Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project-related costs.

·         Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects: increasing the scope of commercial projects covered, but also raising the thresholds for some renewable energy projects to account for improved generation (i.e. the District Council would receive solar developments up to 150MW (currently 50MW)).

·         Strategic planning: “It is our intention to move to a model of universal strategic planning covering functional economic areas within the next five years,” the document says.

·         Climate-change: policy is likely to be strengthened but the government wants ideas on how. There are hints that a more proportionate approach may be taken to flood-risk although the NPPF remains unchanged at present, so it remains a consideration.

The Secretary of State had also written (30^th July) to all Local authorities and stated: “As announced in the King’s Speech, we will introduce a Planning and Infrastructure Bill later in the first session, which will: modernise planning committees by introducing a national scheme of delegation that focuses their efforts on the applications that really matter, and places more trust in skilled professional planners to do the rest; enable local authorities to put their planning departments on a sustainable footing; further reform compulsory purchase compensation rules to ensure that what is paid to landowners is fair but not excessive; streamline the delivery process for critical infrastructure; and provide any necessary legal underpinning to ensure we can use development to fund nature recovery where currently both are stalled. “

For further information on these matters, please contact Head of Policy Rachael Hughes, or DM Team Manager Russell Clarkson.

Members discussed the proposed changes in Planning Policy and Members commended the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan which had been named the region’s best local plan by the Royal Town Planning Institute. They thanked everyone involved for their hard work and gave appreciation to all of those involved across Councils.