Local MP Maria Miller has welcomed the Government’s announcement this afternoon that in the future all house building targets will be "advisory" not mandatory to enable local planning authorities like Basingstoke and Dean Borough Council to better take into account local circumstances in their next local plan.
Maria said,
‘’Now as a result of this change, all housebuilding numbers developed through the Standard Method are an advisory starting point rather than a final mandatory target. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council needs to reflect this new approach in the forthcoming revised local plan due for consultation in January.
“The Housing Minister is meeting me shortly to discuss how Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council can use the existing "exceptional circumstances" rule in the NPPF to make a strong argument for significantly reduced house building in our next local plan. Whilst a special planning rule rewarding high house building areas like Basingstoke isn't possible at this point, the Minister has suggested considering "exceptional circumstances " provisions, which are being used in the Isle of Wight.
“Basingstoke is an outlier when it comes to historic high levels of housebuilding. As the government made clear in their statement they now see the use of exceptional circumstances as a way to better acknowledge the “nuance” between communities."
Exceptional Circumstances are a provision in section 60 of the 2019 NPPF. They were designed to be broadly defined to include whatever issues were deemed to be exceptional based on evidence. Basingstoke has built new homes at double the rate of the rest of the country for 5 decades, something only seen in one other local authority area. The NPPF Consultation underlines the need for the Government to provide additional clarity on "exceptional circumstances", with 71% of respondents agreeing that guidance should be clearer on what constitutes this an exceptional circumstance.
Maria went on to say, " I am pleased that the Minister has agreed at the despatch box that this could be a way forward for Basingstoke. "
