Planning in Alderton
Last updated: August 2023
Housing development is a contentious subject and people are always concerned about the conflicting objectives of development on rural greenfield locations versus the clear need for affordable homes for local people. The notes below explain what’s going on with planning in Alderton and why so many planning applications are being made and approved.
Housing development is a contentious subject and people are always concerned about the conflicting objectives of development on rural greenfield locations versus the clear need for affordable homes for local people. The notes below explain what’s going on with planning in Alderton and why so many planning applications are being made and approved.
Daily Express August 2023
|
|
What affects housing development in Alderton?
Planning is controlled by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which sets out the government's planning policies and how regional and local authorities should apply these. The NPPF requires that local authorities identify all of their housing needs for the next five years and can demonstrate how they will meet those requirements. If they can't do so then there's a presumption in favour of development.
Tewkesbury Borough Council planning is undertaken in partnership with Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucester City Council. You’ll see this referred to as the Joint Core Strategy (JCS). It’s the strategic plan for the region which assesses future needs for housing, employment and infrastructure, and the strategy for meeting these needs.
Why are there so many planning applications?
ISSUE 1: Unfortunately Tewkesbury Borough Council are not masters of their (and therefore Alderton's) own destiny. Their five year housing numbers need to be calculated and apportioned as part of the Joint Core Strategy.
ISSUE 2: The Joint Core Strategy is ‘out of date’ (a planning term) as it hasn’t been able to complete a formal review that's required because the JCS parties know that as time has gone on the JCS has significantly changed and new numbers need to be calculated. Importantly for Alderton the JCS will reallocate housing supply numbers so Tewkesbury Borough Council have a target that they can demonstrate they they could hit.
Tewkesbury Borough Council argue that they CAN demonstrate a five year housing supply …but…
ISSUE 3: In the absence of a JCS target they fall back in the previous method of calculation and some of the numbers in Tewksbury’s 5 years housing supply, although physically in Tewks BC area, meet Cheltenham’s requirements (as per the JCS) and essentially are being double counted.
This is the heart of the issue that the Planning Inspector found against Tewkesbury. She removed these double counted numbers = Tewks can’t demonstrate a 5 year supply.
ISSUE 4: Really this is a National planning issue and the councils have their hands tied by both planning law and the huge resources required to defend the appeals.
It’s the developers who appeal and force Tewks BC to spend hundred of thousands of our tax money to defend them but there’s no law or guidance to the contrary to address what is happening to our small community and many others around the country.
So are we going to have appeals and lose for all the other applications?
Sorry I can’t provide better news but maybe?
Nevertheless don’t lose heart completely. The Government know this is an issue and may change the law. Even if they don’t the law itself evolves as planning inspectors make their decisions and helpful decisions could come along.
Also Planning Inspectors make their own decisions. I thought this last one was wholly unsympathetic to the case put before her. Others in the past haven’t been so.
Also the environment/landscape impact and the ability of Alderton to sustain such growth has weight in planning decisions.
So should you give up and stop letter writing? No, absolutely not. We can only do what we can do but there is always hope in the shifting sands of politics and planning law.
Planning is controlled by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which sets out the government's planning policies and how regional and local authorities should apply these. The NPPF requires that local authorities identify all of their housing needs for the next five years and can demonstrate how they will meet those requirements. If they can't do so then there's a presumption in favour of development.
Tewkesbury Borough Council planning is undertaken in partnership with Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucester City Council. You’ll see this referred to as the Joint Core Strategy (JCS). It’s the strategic plan for the region which assesses future needs for housing, employment and infrastructure, and the strategy for meeting these needs.
Why are there so many planning applications?
ISSUE 1: Unfortunately Tewkesbury Borough Council are not masters of their (and therefore Alderton's) own destiny. Their five year housing numbers need to be calculated and apportioned as part of the Joint Core Strategy.
ISSUE 2: The Joint Core Strategy is ‘out of date’ (a planning term) as it hasn’t been able to complete a formal review that's required because the JCS parties know that as time has gone on the JCS has significantly changed and new numbers need to be calculated. Importantly for Alderton the JCS will reallocate housing supply numbers so Tewkesbury Borough Council have a target that they can demonstrate they they could hit.
Tewkesbury Borough Council argue that they CAN demonstrate a five year housing supply …but…
ISSUE 3: In the absence of a JCS target they fall back in the previous method of calculation and some of the numbers in Tewksbury’s 5 years housing supply, although physically in Tewks BC area, meet Cheltenham’s requirements (as per the JCS) and essentially are being double counted.
This is the heart of the issue that the Planning Inspector found against Tewkesbury. She removed these double counted numbers = Tewks can’t demonstrate a 5 year supply.
ISSUE 4: Really this is a National planning issue and the councils have their hands tied by both planning law and the huge resources required to defend the appeals.
It’s the developers who appeal and force Tewks BC to spend hundred of thousands of our tax money to defend them but there’s no law or guidance to the contrary to address what is happening to our small community and many others around the country.
So are we going to have appeals and lose for all the other applications?
Sorry I can’t provide better news but maybe?
Nevertheless don’t lose heart completely. The Government know this is an issue and may change the law. Even if they don’t the law itself evolves as planning inspectors make their decisions and helpful decisions could come along.
Also Planning Inspectors make their own decisions. I thought this last one was wholly unsympathetic to the case put before her. Others in the past haven’t been so.
Also the environment/landscape impact and the ability of Alderton to sustain such growth has weight in planning decisions.
So should you give up and stop letter writing? No, absolutely not. We can only do what we can do but there is always hope in the shifting sands of politics and planning law.
