Consultation on Government plans to increase rate of house-building

The UK Government yesterday launched a consultation on plans, in its words, to “boost housing supply.”

Proposals include the introduction of a “standard method for calculating local authorities’ housing need.”

But what does this mean for Cornwall?

The Cornwall Local Plan (which was formally adopted in November 2016) has a target for the period 2010-2030 of 52,500 new properties – a figure that was higher than that proposed by the unitary authority. This equates to an annual target of 2,625 new properties per annum.

In the consultation paperwork, the UK Government sets out its “indicative assessment of housing need” based on their new formula. It sets an annual target of 2,889 – which would equate to a housing target of 57,780 is spread over a twenty-year plan period.

The Government is also consulting on a “proposed transitional arrangements.”

This states that if the local area has “no plan, or plan adopted more than five years ago” (or an emerging plan that has not yet been published and has not yet reached publication stage), there will be no transitional arrangements.

However, if a Plan has been adopted within the last five years – as here in Cornwall – the “new standardised method” will not come in immediately, but will be used when next reviewing or updating the Plan.

The consultation document is entitled “Planning for the right homes in the right places: consultation proposals” and can be accessed on the website for the Department of Communities and Local Government:

DCLG website