District council pauses Local Plan process after Gove planning announcements

Mole Valley District Council has decided to pause before moving on to the next stage in its Future Mole Valley timetable, “in light of recent announcements by the government”.

The local authority said it would “await clarification” on the Government’s plans for the planning system and Green Belt before deciding its next course of action.

Last week the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, unveiled plans for a consultation on changes to the method for calculating local housing need figures, a ‘rebalancing’ of the relationship between planning authorities and the Planning Inspectorate, and an end to the obligation on local authorities to maintain a five-year housing land supply where their plans are up to date.

In a letter sent to local planning authorities (LPAs) on 5 December, Gove said the new approach would be set out in an upcoming National Planning Policy Framework prospectus, which will be put out for consultation by Christmas.

Mole Valley’s Cabinet Member for Planning, Cllr Margaret Cooksey, said: “This has given us cause to consider and driven our decision to inform the Inspector in charge of the Local Plan Examination that we wish to put a pause to proceedings until we better understand what the Government is saying.

“This decision has not been taken lightly and, given the very encouraging progress made during an exhaustive examination of the Plan between January and October this year, pausing this progression is not what we would otherwise want to do. However, it would be unwise to carry on when we are not sure what the wider national planning policy situation is so we have committed to wait until such time that the Inspector can advise us on what should be done next.

“We had been due to consult with stakeholders on the modifications proposed by us and the Inspector in January. We remain hopeful that clarity will be provided and we will take the best course of action for our residents.”