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Javid puts council's local plan on hold after MP's complaint
Sajid Javid has put a South East council’s local plan on hold after a request from the area’s Conservative MP, despite it being found sound by the planning inspectorate.
The communities secretary has imposed a holding direction on Labour-led Stevenage Borough Council’s draft local plan, which allocates sites for an estimated 7,600 new homes in the town by 2031.
The move came as Mr Javid announced he would be intervening in 15 councils which are failing to make progress with their local plans last week.
Louise Crosby, the planning inspector appointed by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to assess Stevenage’s Plan, concluded last month: “The specific policies and overall vision for the town centre are well thought out and have the potential to improve the town centre significantly in several ways.”
But the council is now unable to adopt the plan until Mr Javid has considered the issues raised by Stephen McPartland, MP for Stevenage.
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“The local plan fails to regenerate the town centre, as it does not include the shops in Queensway, but don’t worry it includes fancy new council offices!” Mr McPartland wrote in a statement on his website.
“It is time for radical action and for a new town centre in Stevenage, it is time the council got out of the way and stopped blocking investment in our town with their addiction to car parking charges.”
Sharon Taylor, leader of Stevenage Borough Council, said: “We are in the very late stages of developing our local plan, which sets out ambitious plans for Stevenage in relation to building homes, creating jobs and regenerating our town centre and neighbourhoods, and it is disappointing to hear today of this political intervention that seems to be trying to hold back much needed housing, creating jobs and regenerating our town centre.
“We will remain in contact with DCLG colleagues during coming weeks to work through any issues they may have with the draft plan.”
Including Stevenage, nine local authorities have had their plans found to be sound by a planning inspector which have not yet been adopted. The others are Adur, Cheltenham, Coventry, Gloucester, Hull, Luton, North West Leicestershire and Tewkesbury.
More than 70 councils are yet to adopt an up-to-date local plan.
A spokesperson for the DCLG said: “We have issued a holding order on the local plan for Stevenage and will decide on next steps shortly.”
