Councils and Councillors - all carrot and no stick…

I’m sure we all agree that the Government is doing a lot of good things for the development industry. The new(ish) NPPF is starting to have the desired effect: housing targets are back, Councils have 30 months (well 28 now) to make a new Local Plan, the councils who thought they could “get away” with using the previous lower housing numbers and rushed in with Local Plans suddenly found themselves in the position where from July 2026 they would have to demonstrate a 6YHLS… Renewable energy is a major priority with wind farms being allowed back on shore, solar is a big priority and things are being made easier… and then there is the major infrastructure, the New Towns etc.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill (see our Tuesday Planning in Focus) is bringing in changes where planning committee members will have to gain accreditation to serve on planning committees, the size of committees are being cut and there is a national scheme of delegation that will take most small developments (up to 10 units) out of the planning committee remit to free up committee time to deal with the more substantive applications (quite rightly but NOTE if you are over 10 units you are in all likelihood still going to go to committee… albeit a trained and qualified, smaller committee).

Now, I am not in the habit of pouring cold water over things but… This is all very nice and well and no doubt the Government have the very best of intentions. They are absolutely committed to the growth agenda and I am sure we all agree that this is the most pro-growth Government for decades.

However, I do have a concern about some of the Councils and Councillors. There are many Councils out there who think that they are “special” and historically resisted making Local Plans or any serious attempts at growth... You know the sort of Councils I mean… the ones that claim they are sacrosanct 99.9% Green Belt or they simply ignore the Government and have a Local Plan so old it could qualify for a state pension.

What are the consequences if Councils and Councillors ignore the Government? They have the “instructions” from the Government of what they should be doing but what will happen if they don’t? Now if you or I don’t do our job, we will be invited to a “review” and we may be put on an “improvement plan” or in most cases we will just be sacked. In all the reams and reams of good intentions of the Government, the one thing that is absent is “and if you don’t do this, these will be the consequences”.

What should those consequences be? It is not a practical solution to put them in “special measures” and get Government bods to take over and run the Council. It hasn’t not really worked before and it won’t work. It needs some tough love…it needs some very sharp pointed sticks to prod them.

What should those consequences be? I have some ideas but I am keen to hear yours… please do feel free to reply or visit my LinkedIn post and comment there!  https://www.linkedin.com/in/henry-lamprecht-03855133/

Until next week,

Henry