Local Plans, Neighbourhood Plans and Housing Needs Surveys

The Government has the overriding decision on housing development based on their current Housing Policy framework. Subservient to this is the Borough Councils Local Plan – there is currently no Local Plan covering housing or settlement boundaries which leaves the Council wide open to speculative planning applications especially as the Local Plan would define the settlement boundary. Without a current Local Plan we have no current settlement boundary.  When the Local Plan is in place a Neighbourhood Plan must be subservient to this. The draft Local Plan is likely to be published in Spring this year with a final completion date by the end of 2027.

Regarding, Neighbourhood Plans, the National Planning Policy Framework paragraph 30 clearly states that Neighbourhood Plans can “shape, direct and help to deliver sustainable development but should not promote less development than set out in the strategic policies for the area, or undermine those strategic policies.”

In a small Key Services Villages such as Woodseaves as seen in many others around the country it is very unlikely that a Neighbourhood Plan either current or historical would have any influence in the decision process for speculative housing planning applications with or without a Local Plan in place.

This is further supported by a recent Government debate in the House of Commons where this National Planning Policy Framework statement was reiterated by Matthew Pennycook (Minister for Housing and Planning) as follows:

‘The UK government’s 2026 housing policy, driven by the updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) (Dec 2024), aims to deliver 1.5 million new homes. Key actions include mandatory, increased local housing targets, prioritising “grey belt” land, and enforcing “golden rules” for greenbelt development to ensure infrastructure and social housing’. The so called “Golden Rules” are incorporated into the National Planning Policy Framework paragraphs 67 and paragraphs 156-157.

A housing needs survey is usually produced by Housing Authorities and is a tool used to understand the current and future housing requirements of a community. It gathers information from residents about household size, affordability, local demand, and the types of homes needed, helping councils and planners make evidence‑based decisions about future development.  It can be used to allow building in rural exception sites.

A housing needs assessment is a broader, evidence‑based analysis that looks at the overall housing requirements of an area. It examines demographic trends, affordability, local market conditions, and projected future demand to determine what types of homes are needed and in what quantities.