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Council scales back development due to government need proposals
Leeds City Council is to reverse plans to build housing after government estimates lowered housing need in the area.
The council had previously identified a swathe of green belt sites in the city, where 6,450 homes could be built, as part of its site allocations plan.
But after the announcement of the government’s new methodology for assessing housing need, which closed for consultation two weeks ago, Leeds reviewed the plan and now proposes to leave 33 of the sites in the green belt – roughly 55% of the green belt sites originally included in the plan.
According to the city’s original local assessment of housing need, it needed 3,660 homes a year, but statistics released this week show that it only built 2,824 homes in 2016/17.
According to the government’s new methodology, however, this figure is actually higher than necessary. The government’s new assessment of housing need in Leeds is that 2,649 homes are needed every year, leading the council to scale back its development plans.
The Local Government Association warned in a response to the consultation on the methodology that lower targets in some areas “could put at risk plans for economic growth”.
Andrew Whitaker, planning director at the Home Builders Federation, added: “Following the publication of the government’s consultation, we have seen a number of local authorities halt the progression of local plans or even reduce the requirements in existing plans.
“This does nothing to engender confidence for home builders and will be a cause of concern for young people struggling to find a home they can afford in these areas.”
Richard Lewis, executive member for regeneration, transport and planning at Labour-led Leeds City Council, said: “We have successfully struck a balance between allowing our city to grow and develop in a co-ordinated and fair way, meet the need for new homes across Leeds and ensure there is no unnecessary loss of green belt land.”
In a press release announcing the move, the council said: “In light of potentially lower overall housing targets for Leeds, the council has taken stock of its approach to green belt release.”
The plans will be put before the council’s development plan panel on Tuesday, with a consultation process following if councillors vote in favour.
A spokesperson for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: “This new approach is about getting a better understanding of housing needs in local areas and using this as a basis to plan for affordable, high-quality homes for everyone.
“It will also cut the unnecessarily complex and lengthy debates that can delay housebuilding. It’s not a local target, but will help make sure there’s a clear and realistic assessment of how many new homes are needed.”
