Question
It is looking increasingly likely that the number of houses that this Conservative government is going to expect this council to build in Wokingham between 2016 and 2036 will be nearly 900 a year, a total of 18,000.
This we feel is far too high and would lead to grid lock across many parts of the Borough and also put at risk the very character of this area. It should be opposed as hard as it can be.
However should the council agree to build this many houses in just 2, 3 or 4 locations, is it your understanding and the Councils officers and legal teams understanding that no other houses will need be built in any other parts of the Borough?
Minutes:
It is looking increasingly likely that the number of houses that this Conservative government is going to expect this Council to build in Wokingham between 2016 and 2036 will be nearly 900 a year, a total of 18,000.
This we feel is far too high and would lead to grid lock across many parts of the Borough and also put at risk the very character of this area. It should be opposed as hard as it can be.
However should the Council agree to build this many houses in just 2, 3 or 4 locations, is it your understanding and the Council’s officers and legal teams understanding that no other houses will need be built in any other parts of the Borough?
Answer
Under Government planning policy, local authorities are expected to enable the building of enough homes to meet the assessed housing need. The Government recently consulted on a standard methodology for assessing this need which, if confirmed, would require 876 homes per year to be built within Wokingham Borough from 2016.
We have already planned for and granted planning permission for many of these homes through our successful Core Strategy which runs to 2026. The Local Plan Review will consider how the homes required over the longer period to 2036 can best be delivered. Through the Local Plan Update we will ensure that new development is planned to be sustainable. This includes consideration of impacts on roads and other infrastructure. Where development on a site is shown to be unsustainable, these sites will not be taken forward.
Our successful adopted Core Strategy focuses the majority of development in the four Strategic Development Locations. This approach has enabled significant new infrastructure to be delivered alongside new development to mitigate impacts and to try to alleviate pressures on other areas. Engagement on the Local Plan Update with residents to date has shown support for the continuation of this approach.
Where local authorities are delivering an agreed plan, there should be every expectation that development outside those planned areas should be rejected as our adopted Core Strategy has largely enabled us to manage where development occurs. Recently we have experienced some difficulties with the way current Government planning policy, established by the Coalition Government in 2010, is being interpreted by the Planning Inspectorate. This has increased the risk that development in unsuitable and unsustainable locations may be allowed on appeal due to the precise determination of the current 5 year land supply. This is a real concern.
Planning Inspectors are assessing some appeals on applications we have refused on sites put forward outside of planned and agreed areas, purely on a 5 year land supply basis and not on our current plan, nor with consideration of the significant number of permissions granted but not yet built by developers, which totals approximately 10,000.
We are actively engaging with Government at every level, including the Prime Minister, to highlight the failures of the current system. We welcome and appreciate the support offered by other political parties and from our Parish and Town Councils on this contentious issue. The Chancellor’s Budget statement on Wednesday specifically acknowledged this and proposed an investigation to tackle this problem. We should be measured and judged on planning permissions granted, not build rate, which is determined by developers and prevailing market conditions and the Government should penalise or incentivise developers to ensure that they deliver sufficient new homes, not penalise councils for something beyond their control.
Supplementary Question
Following recent Planning Inspectors’ decisions, a buffer is being applied to yearly numbers. Is this 5% or 20% and does it go back to all of the undelivered houses over the past few years?
Supplementary Answer
I can confirm that it is 20%, as it is with most authorities. I cannot confirm the latter part. I will ask David Lee to provide a written answer as I do not know that detail.
Due to time constraints, the following questions were not considered and the following written answers were provided.