Council formally fights government on housing plan

A council has formally put its case to the government on why it believes intervention in its local plan is not appropriate.

West Northamptonshire Council wrote to the housing and planning minister Matthew Pennycook on Monday, ahead of Tuesday's deadline, setting out what it says are exceptional circumstances which mean intervention is not necessary.

Council leader Mark Arnull says the response is both "robust" and "constructive" and said pressing ahead with the current plan could lead to further delays and uncertainty.

The government said the authority "remains under a ministerial direction to progress its plan".

The proposals are part of West Northamptonshire Council's draft local plan, which could see up to 47,300 new homes built across the area by 2043.

West Northamptonshire Council voted earlier this month to restart the process, using the 2026 national planning framework and regulations.

The next day the government directed the council to continue with its existing draft local plan.

The council said the letter argued that "progressing the current draft plan could create greater risks and delays if concerns raised during consultation are later upheld through the examination process.

"It states that issues around the assessment of alternative growth options and the capacity of the local electricity grid need further work before final decisions on future development patterns are made."

Arnull added: "Members took the decision to pause the current draft Local Plan because they were not satisfied that important questions around infrastructure, growth and alternative options had been fully resolved.

"These are matters that must be addressed if we are to deliver a plan that is genuinely sound, deliverable and in the long-term interests of our residents."

A ministry of housing, communities and local government spokesperson said: "All areas, including West Northamptonshire, must play their part to build the homes we need, and we will not hesitate to step in if councils are not getting on with the job to have an up-to-date plan in place.

"That's why we've instructed West Northamptonshire Council to progress their draft Local Plan at pace, ensuring they remain on track to submit for examination by the end of this year."

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