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Government to intervene in 15 councils over local plans
The government is to intervene in 15 councils which are failing to make progress with their local plans, Sajid Javid has announced.
Speaking at an event in Bristol this morning, the communities secretary said his “patience has run out” with the authorities.
It is the first time a threat in the Housing White Paper to take action against councils has been put into effect.
Mr Javid said: “Those 15 authorities have left me with no choice but to start the formal process of intervention that we set out in the White Paper. By failing to plan, they have failed the people that they are meant to serve.
“The people of this country are crying out for good quality housing in the right places supported by the right infrastructure. They deserve better, and by stepping in now I will do all I can to ensure that they receive it.”
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He said that “incredibly”, there are more than 70 councils that are yet to adopt an up-to-date local plan, and warned that he would “not hesitate” to take similar action against the others lagging behind.
The 15 councils affected are Basildon, Brentwood, Bolsover, Calderdale, Castle Point, Eastleigh, Liverpool, Mansfield, North East Derbyshire, Northumberland, Runnymede, St Albans, Thanet, Wirral and York.
In response to a question from Inside Housing, Mr Javid said each of these councils will be receiving a formal letter today informing them that the government has the right to intervene and write their local plan for them, or designate a third party to do so.
He said that some of the councils “might genuinely have some really legitimate” issues but that they were “letting down local people” by not forming a local plan.
He added: “I think it’s better that they are given an opportunity to explain why they have got to this stage, and then I will consider those responses and then I will decide whether I’m going to write their plans for them or not.”
Update: at 2.02pm, 16/11/17: The story was updated to include the names of the 15 councils.
