LOCAL councils are being urged to unite to fight the risk to its neighbourhood plans from national planning policy changes.
Westbury Town Council is one of more than 30 local authorities backing the campaign being led by Malmesbury Town Council.
The campaign says the recent changes to the National Planning Policy Framework and the loss of its 5-year land supply for housing by Wiltshire Council is “directly threatening” the future of neighbourhood planning in Wiltshire.
A press release from the 30 councils says, “Until Wiltshire Council can show it has restored its 5-year land supply for building, all made Neighbourhood Plans in Wiltshire that are more than two years old are not taken into account in the planning process. This means, as has already happened in Malmesbury, that developments will be approved that completely go against democratically agreed Neighbourhood Plans.
“This is deeply concerning to town and parish councils and Neighbourhood Plan groups across the county.“
The councils already on board have written together to all Wiltshire MPs to request their support to ensure government immediately reviews the framework, and to encourage Wiltshire Council to take all necessary steps to reverse the land supply situation immediately, but not at the expense of prospective and current Neighbourhood Plans.
Speaking on behalf of the town and parish councils who have written to Wiltshire MPs, cllr Campbell Ritchie, Mayor of Malmesbury said, “Communities across Wiltshire have invested huge amounts of time and effort into creating and maintaining Neighbourhood Plans. The current situation is that much of this work is for nothing and any semblance of local involvement in planning decisions is being lost.
“At this stage Wiltshire Council is simply not acting strongly enough in defence of Neighbourhood Planning and there is too much uncertainty about how the land supply issue will resolve itself without housing being imposed without consideration for the Wiltshire Area Plan or any existing Neighbourhood Plan.
At the same time there is every sign that the government has lost interest in Neighbourhood Planning. This situation is being actively exploited by developers and builders, many of whom are directly or indirectly involved in the building delays which have caused the current problems. This must change or Neighbourhood Planning will wither away in months.
“We are looking to our MPs to work together in the interests of all Wiltshire communities and to encourage Wiltshire Council to get its own house in order.”
