Telford local plan date change set to add to home-building target
A proposed tweak to the dates to be covered by Telford & Wrekin Council’s local plan would see hundreds more homes added to the borough’s housebuilding targets.
Government planning inspectors will be considering changing the plan period to cover 2021 to 2041 instead of the original 2020 to 2040.
The effect of the change will be to see a need for a total of 20,680 new homes being called for over 20 years, an increase of 480 from the previous requirement of 20,200.
Planning permissions already granted for homes from 2021 to 2026 will be included in the new numbers.
A number of organisations have pointed out to inspectors that the local plan needs to control development for 15 years after it is adopted.
The Home Builders Federation (HBF) has told inspectors in advance of hearings due to start later this month that it is “unlikely that the plan will be adopted this year”.
“As such the plan period needs extending so there are 15 years or more remaining when the plan is adopted.
“HBF also do not agree with the council’s decision to use a plan period that starts in 2020, over four years prior to the local plan being submitted for examination.
“Local plans are meant to look forward at what needs to be delivered with past delivery being taken into account through the standard method.”
It added that it is “neither logical nor consistent with national policy for the plan period to start in 2020”.
The Ministry of Defence’s Defence Infrastructure Organisation, which has an interest in barracks in Donnington, has supported the point.
“The plan period should therefore be extended for at least a further year to 2042 in order to account for the likely lead in time to adoption of the emerging plan.”
Bloor Homes, which has an interest in development sites at Bratton and Muxton, has called for an extension to “at least 2041”.
“Should the examination of the local plan extend beyond 2026, the plan period may need to be further extended to ensure at least 15 years remain of the plan period at adoption.”
Telford & Wrekin Council confirmed that the change is subject to planning inspectors confirming the move.
In its statement on the council’s own plan examination website the authority confirmed that the proposed revised local plan period is 2021-2041.
“And the overall requirement has now increased to 20,680 due to an increase in the council’s housing need figure.
“This figure is informed by the Government’s standard method for calculating local housing need and reflects a commitment to support wider housing market area pressures, particularly those arising in the Black Country.”
The documents confirm that there is a baseline housing need figure of 881 dwellings per annum and a contribution towards the Black Country authorities’ unmet needs of 153 dwellings per annum.
The two total 20-year figures of 17,620 dwellings (baseline) and 3,060 dwellings (Black Country) add up to an overall housing requirement of 20,680 dwellings over the period 2021-2041.
This averages out as an annual requirement of 1,034 homes per year, up from 1,010.
Local plan examination hearings are set to start at Meeting Point House in Southwater, Telford on February 24.
