Changes to the Government's planning policy is “too little too late” for councillor

The changes include tackling problems of slow building and issues in the operation of housing delivery, encouraging local planning authorities to support the role of community-led groups in delivery affordable housing, and including considerations for flood security around farm land.

Zoe Nicholson, Green Party councillor and deputy leader of the Council, said: “It’s a shame that the Government have decided to yet again kick the can down the road on changes to the National Planning Framework with this consultation. We’ve been promised reform of our broken planning system since 2019, and still we are yet to see any practical change on the ground.

“What is proposed still falls short of the changes our community needs, failing to provide much needed protections from over development in our countryside and villages. For many places, like Ringmer, Wivelsfield and Plumpton it’s too little too late. The reason the Planning Inspector is still riding rough shod over local decision making is the Government’s relentless focus on building more houses in every green space available.”

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, had announced in December that the Government would publish a National Planning Policy consultation before Christmas.

The consultation sets out specific changes that the Conservative Government propose to immediately make to the National Planning Policy Framework.

This includes delivering the Government’s commitments to building enough homes, ensuring the environment is protected and giving local people a greater say on where to place new development.

Maria Caulfield MP said: “I am very pleased to share the proposed changes to the National Planning Policy. I have been working with residents from Wivelsfield to Polegate to protect our green spaces from development. The lack of a Local Plan is currently the number one reason planning inspectors overturn refusals and so getting these in place and keeping them in date will really make a difference locally. "

Cllr Nicholson added: “Our Local Plan is one that everyone agrees is good. It contains policies that provide landscape and countryside protections. All of these good policies were outweighed by the Government inspector in the recent appeals on the basis that the Government believes we need more housing. I don’t see much in this consultation that will provide any comfort for our villages or coastal towns.”

The consultation includes changes to:

1. Make clear how housing figures should be derived and applied so that communities can respond to local circumstances;

2. Address issues in the operation of the housing delivery and land supply tests;

3. Tackle problems of slow build out;

4. Encourage local planning authorities to support the role of community-led groups in delivering affordable housing on exception sites;

5. Set clearer expectations around planning for older peoples’ housing;

6. Promote more beautiful homes, including through gentle density;

7. Make sure that food security considerations are factored into planning decisions that affect farm land;

8. And enable new methods for demonstrating local support for onshore wind development.

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