NEW guidelines introduced by Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, should help protect Westbury and surrounding areas from the scourge of speculative housing development. He has credited local MP, Michelle Donelan, for “banging the drum” about planning rule “loopholes” which have seen towns in Wiltshire have more than its fair share of housing in recent years.
The local MP has been lobbying Michael Gove to update the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) so that areas, such as Westbury, are better protected from speculative, unwanted and unplanned development. She has used the evidence of speculative house building in nearby Melksham and surrounding areas, to highlight her concern to the Secretary of State.
Local areas have recently been subjected to speculative development, which were not included in the town Neighbourhood Plan or Wiltshire Council’s draft Local Plan. These applications, which were strongly opposed by local people, were approved as Wiltshire Council cannot demonstrate a 5-year housing land supply.
In Westbury, one such development was plans for 67 houses on land south of Sandhole Lane in Westbury Leigh. The plans for housing on green land came under fire from local people and were opposed by Westbury Town Council, then turned down by Wiltshire Council in 2021. The plans were approved on appeal the following year as Wiltshire Council does not have a five-year housing land supply. A public consultation also took place at The Laverton in October 2022, but the plans were approved by a government inspector.
Now, Michael Gove has announced that he is removing the requirement for planning authorities that have done the right thing and put an up-to-date plan in place, like Wiltshire Council, to update annually their five-year supply of land. This change provides these authorities with additional protection from the presumption in favour of sustainable development. Local authorities who have a local plan and proposed allocations towards meeting housing need, only have to demonstrate a four-year housing land supply (as opposed to five years).
Michelle Donelan said, “One of the main issues that is raised with me in local towns and villages is the rise in speculative development. Local residents give up hours and hours of their time to make plans for their area and far too often this has been ridden roughshod over by developers.
“I have been pushing and pushing to make our case heard loud and clear and the changes announced will end the scourge of speculative, unplanned, unwanted development for good.”
Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said, “Michelle has persistently made the point to me and the Housing Minister, that we need to give more control to local communities to ensure housing is strategic and in line with local needs and amenities.
“The changes that I have made to the National Planning Policy Framework, alongside the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act, will protect areas from unwarranted speculative development.
“The changes I have announced are what Michelle has been asking for and will make life easier for councils who are doing the right thing by getting their plans in place and ensure that local communities are in control of where and what development happens in their area.”
