ao link
Twitter
Facebook
Linked In
Twitter
Facebook
Linked In

You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles

Jenrick intervenes at 11th hour to halt council scrapping its local plan

Housing secretary Robert Jenrick stopped a council’s attempt to scrap its emerging local plan at a meeting yesterday.

Linked InTwitterFacebookeCard
Picture: Getty
Picture: Getty
Sharelines

Jenrick halts council move to scrap its local plan at 11th hour #ukhousing

Housing secretary in spat with council about attempts to scrap local plan #ukhousing

Mr Jenrick wrote to South Oxfordshire District Council on Wednesday issuing a holding direction which prevents the authority from taking any further action on the local plan, including its withdrawal.

In a letter to the council’s leader, Sue Cooper, he claimed that withdrawing the plan is “likely to create uncertainty and expose communities to speculative planning applications”.

And he said progressing the plan “is an essential step to delivering the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal” – a £215m agreement between the county’s local authorities and government tied to the delivery of 100,000 new homes by 2031.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has previously warned the council that withdrawing the local plan could see Oxfordshire County Council lose its £218m allocation through the Housing Infrastructure Fund.

The council hit back with a letter from its chief executive, Mark Stone, questioning the legal grounds for the secretary of state’s intervention.


READ MORE

Council leader slams ‘disappointing’ intervention by Jenrick in local plan rowCouncil leader slams ‘disappointing’ intervention by Jenrick in local plan row
Government announces ‘green standard’ for all new build homes in raft of housing proposalsGovernment announces ‘green standard’ for all new build homes in raft of housing proposals
Housing minister wades in over local plan green belt concernsHousing minister wades in over local plan green belt concerns
Jenrick steps up threat to council with ultimatum over local planJenrick steps up threat to council with ultimatum over local plan
The new kid on the block: we meet the housing secretary Robert JenrickThe new kid on the block: we meet the housing secretary Robert Jenrick

It claimed that Section 21 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, invoked by Mr Jenrick, “does not give you the power to make a general holding direction – it must be tied to a proper consideration of whether you intend to make a direction”.

Responding, MHCLG said Mr Jenrick is considering whether to demand that the plan “be submitted to him for his approval instead of the council” and so is not a “general holding direction”.

South Oxfordshire District Council’s Liberal Democrat-Green-independent coalition cabinet voted last week to scrap the draft local plan developed by the previous Conservative administration against officers’ recommendations.

The new cabinet is opposed to the plan because it proposes housebuilding above the levels identified as required in the district by the government’s standardised methodology for calculating housing need. This includes the release of green belt land and does not acknowledge the climate emergency.

Councillors were scheduled to make a final decision on the plan at a full council meeting yesterday but the agenda item was dropped following Mr Jenrick’s intervention.

Conservatives previously held 33 of the 36 seats at the town hall but now have only nine, following May’s local elections following a campaign fought largely about the local plan.

The draft local plan setting out ambitions for 775 new homes a year in the South Oxfordshire district was submitted for examination by a planning inspector in March.

The holding direction will remain in force for as long as the government sees fit.

Mr Stone’s letter added: “The council remains committed to delivering a sound local plan and considers it of the utmost importance to uphold the vital principles of local democracy.

“It is in no one’s interest for the local plan to be placed on hold.”

Mr Jenrick’s letter expressed his wish to work with the council “to ensure that South Oxfordshire is able to deliver the high-quality homes and infrastructure required to support jobs and growth in the local community”.

West Oxfordshire District Council has also written to South Oxfordshire expressing “major concerns” about the move to withdraw the plan.

Update: at 13.47pm 11/10/19 this story was updated to include more information.

Linked InTwitterFacebookeCard
Add New Comment
You must be logged in to comment.