Agenda item

That work on the new Local Plan not be taken forward until the outcomes and implications of Local Government Reorganisation is known.

The Leader introduced a report which was to confirm the formal commencement of a new Borough Local Plan for Newcastle-under-Lyme.  The Leader stated that there was now a situation where the government had introduced an additional 2000+ housing target requirement for the Borough.  Therefore, as the current draft local plan did not meet the revised housing target, the Council would be expected to put a new plan forward

The Interim Head of Service – Planning Policy advised that arrangements in the 2024 National Planning Policy Framework introduced a new method for calculating housing need which increased the Borough’s requirement for housing to around 559 dwellings per year compared to the 400 per year in the emerging plan.   As the Council’s local plan provided for less than 80% of the required figure, the Authority was required to start preparing a new local plan.

Published regulations stated that the Council must start preparing a new local plan by issuing a notification of commencement by 30 June, 2026 alongside a timetable to complete the plan.  The timetable anticipated that the local plan would be submitted for examination in October, 2028.

The Council had been successful in acquiring additional funding from the government to support the early stages of plan making but further additional funding would be required.

The Leader stated that this council being asked, at a time of uncertainty- with local government reorganisation, to utilise thousands of hours of officer time and approximately £1m of  taxpayers money into a local plan that potentially would not see the light of day - if the reorganisation went ahead, would be foolish.

The Leader therefore felt that Cabinet could not approve the preparation for a new local plan.  A letter had been written to the Secretary of State advising that, whilst a decision on local government reorganisation was awaited, it would be sensible to, at the very least, pause the process.   No response had yet been received.  The Leader would write a further letter making it clear that this council refused to take part in any local plan process going forward.  The Leader asked what the risks would be of refusing to take part in the process.

The Interim Head of Service advised that preparation of a local plan was a statutory requirement and regulations published at the end of March noted that councils through transitional arrangements such as this council were required to start the local plan making process by the end of this month.  There was also a risk financially that the money provided by the government to start the process would have to be returned and intervention from the Secretary of State on any decision not to move forward at this stage.

Regarding the money provided by the government, the Leader asked the Service Director – Finance/ Section 151 Officer if that money was still unused and could be sent back to the government if required.

The Service Director confirmed that was correct.    

Resolved:    That work on the new Local Plan not be taken forward until the

outcomes and implications of Local Government Reorganisation is known.

Watch the debate here