Council leader tells government housing targets aren't possible

A Hampshire council leader has written to Michael Gove challenging housing targets that are ‘not possible’ as planning permissions have been put on hold

Author: Toby Paine, LDRSPublished 27th Mar 2022

Havant Borough Council has called on the government to acknowledge local development challenges due to the constrained nature of the borough and new planning rules imposed by Natural England.

In his letter, councillor Alex Rennie, leader of the council said the standard method for calculating housing needs is not fit for purpose.

‘The existing standard method firstly uses household projections from 2014 which are now significantly out of date and reflects a housing market and need which isn’t there any more,’ he said.

‘I am firm in my view that it will simply not be possible to meet the borough’s need for housing within our administrative area.

‘I am using this letter to inform the ministry that unless indicated otherwise with a reasoned justification, Havant Borough Council will be calculating its five-year supply position on the basis of shortfall against previous under-delivery being eliminated.’

The council withdrew its local development plan on March 16, on the same day Natural England delivered new advice to local authorities on how to mitigate nutrient pollution into marine habitats.

Anne Buckley, consultant to Havant Borough Residents’ Alliance said this is yet another blow to the borough’s housing delivery.

‘Alex Rennie’s letter to government states exactly what local residents’ groups and conservation groups have been telling Havant Council and our MPs for over the last five years,’ she said.

‘That is, that the housing numbers are too high, that many of the housing sites are not deliverable, that infrastructure is failing and also that Havant Borough is far more constrained, because of its unique ecology and lack of suitable mitigation sites than any other area on Hampshire.

‘The new Natural England advice document brings further complications but Havant was already failing the Housing Delivery Test by more than 75 per cent.

‘These are the worst housing delivery figures across the county and some of the worst in England.’

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