MPs need to understand new planning laws before voting on Levelling Up Bill

Letter published in the West Sussex Gazette 1 June 2022

Sir,

‘New planning laws really must be examined and understood in the detail by MPs who will consider and vote on the Bill, on the 8^th June’

Mr Andrew Griffith MP understands that in consequence of new planning laws included in the Levelling Up and Generation Bill, “no longer will residents in one district face extra homes from a next door council failing to hit targets” (WSG May 18, 2022).

He is, however, mistaken because where the number of houses built in a district is below target the resulting shortfall is NOT transferred to next door councils; it remains with the district.

However, in respect of local plans and housing targets, where a council does not have the capacity to accommodate the entirety of its housing target, under the ‘Duty to Cooperate’ the balance that cannot be accommodated, the so-called ‘unmet need’, is offloaded and added to the housing targets of councils that supposedly have the capacity to accommodate.

That the Bill will scrap the existing duty to cooperate has apparently led some MPs and councillors to believe that this would end the offloading of ‘unmet’ housing need.

Unfortunately, the Government’s intent to replace the existing Duty to Cooperate, reportedly with ‘a more flexible alignment policy’ that would require councils to consider growth and constraints with neighbours (Planning Resource: Michael Donnelly, 18 May 2022), suggests that the off-loading of ‘unmet’ housing need between councils will continue.

The consequences of the new planning laws really must be examined and understood in the detail by MPs who will consider and vote on the Bill, on the 8^th June.

Yours sincerely,

Dr R F Smith

Trustee CPRE Sussex