Inspector shoots down council bid to remove local plan Green Belt allocations

A council's request to delete all Green Belt site allocations from its submitted local plan in light of the Government's proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) has been denied by its planning inspector.

In her response to Mole Valley District Council, Inspector R Barrett said she will continue examining the plan under the current NPPF as the suggested reforms are yet to be implemented.

The Government set out its proposed reforms to the NPPF in a consultation document published in December 2022.

The consultation, which is still ongoing, details numerous changes to the planning system, including a change to "make clear" that local planning authorities "are not required to review and alter Green Belt boundaries if this would be the only way of meeting [housing] need in full".

It also proposes a change to the NPPF to make clear that targets set by the standard method for calculating house building numbers are an "advisory starting-point" to inform plan-making and are not mandatory.

In response to the consultation, Mole Valley convened an extraordinary meeting (16 January) to discuss changes to its local plan, which was submitted for examination in February 2022.

The plan is currently at the 'Main Modifications' (MM) stage, meaning the council can still submit changes to the plan subject to the inspector's approval.

At the extraordinary meeting, councillors concluded that the consultation demonstrates that "the direction of travel in respect of plan making is changing" and that "the council should seek agreement from the Planning Inspector that it can make a main modification to the local plan removing the housing site allocations within the Green Belt".

However, in a written response sent late last week (17 February), the inspector stated that: "She wishes to make it clear that there has not been a change in Government policy. Rather, the government is currently consulting on a draft NPPF.

"Until Government policy is changed (expected in Spring 2023), the Inspector will continue to examine the submitted plan against current Government policy, contained in the NPPF 2021. She therefore cannot recommend MMs predicated on draft Government policy that may or may not come into effect in its draft form."

The response added that "given the circumstances", the inspector would be receptive to a request to pause the examination until there is greater certainty around future government policy. However, she could not ensure that the examination would not be delayed as a result.

The inspector later noted: "The Inspector acknowledges that this is not the answer that the council was hoping for, but must work within the bounds of the legislation, regulations, national planning policy and advice as currently stands."

Adam Carey