RBWM must deliver 580+ more homes a year, Government says

RBWM has been told it should deliver 583 more homes per year than previously agreed – due to sweeping changes introduced by central Government.

In August, local councils heard that they would be given new mandatory housing targets to pave the way to deliver 1.5million more homes (about 370,000 homes a year across four years) – one of Labour’s major policies.

Every local authority has an assessed local housing need – simply the minimum number of homes required, determined by central Government calculations.

Local Plans, like the Borough Local Plan (BLP) must then determine the land it needs to provide to make way for these homes. These sites are then allocated for housing.

It is a controversial process. One famous example is Maidenhead Golf Course, which campaigners continue to fight against.

So unpopular are housing targets, the previous Conservative administration of RBWM tried to get the former Secretary of State to relax them, long after the BLP was approved.

New rules

Under previous standards, RBWM’s local housing need was 886 dwellings. Now it is looking at a 67 per cent increase on this.

In the summer, the Government – having revised its calculation methods – said that RBWM’s target should go up from 866 to 1,341.

But as of this month, the promised ‘overhaul of the planning system’ looks to be increasing that again by more than 100 homes, making 1,449. 

Over 2021/22 and 2023/24, the average number of homes RBWM brought in per year was 487. This includes new builds, conversions, and changes of use.

Meanwhile, Slough's assessed local housing need has actually gone down from 856 to 808.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has raised some concerns about the Government’s process.

It has stated that any national formulas 'should be supplemented with … involvement by councils and communities who know their areas best.'

What now?

The time frame for meeting housing needs is typically tied to a local plan.

Even though RBWM has a BLP in place, it will still ‘start to be considered out of date’ which is ‘a real concern’ said RBWM’s cabinet member for planning, Cllr Adam Bermange, in August.

A local authority is expected to plan for a five-year period when it comes to housing.

This is called a five-year housing land supply and it is important. Effectively, if RBWM cannot demonstrate this, it gives ammunition to developers and evokes a ‘tilted balance’ in their favour.

In essence, if a developer decides to challenge a decision by RBWM to turn down its plan for flats or houses, the Planning Inspectorate is more likely to side with the developer on appeal.

Developers have already used RBWM's 'inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply' as supporting evidence for their applications, and the matter has come up during significant appeals in recent years.

Despite the new targets, the issues facing RBWM remain the same – its brownfield sites are ‘heavily constrained by flooding’, creating the need to consider allowing building on greenbelt sites.

Another issue is that RBWM councillors and officers alike have long expressed their disquiet about the amount of office space being lost in the Borough via conversions into flats.

Increased housing targets fly somewhat in the face of RBWM plans to put in special protections to stop office space from being converted into flats so easily.

RBWM is seeking to implement these special protections and they are set to come into force on January 30 – if there is no intervention by the Secretary of State.

The Government’s view

The changes are part of the Government’s plan to ‘tackle the chronic housing crisis once and for all.’

Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Angela Rayner said:         

“From day one I have been open and honest about the scale of the housing crisis we have inherited.

“We must all do our bit and we must all do more.”

Responding to the latest changes, Cllr Bermange said:

“While we consider the implications of the new national planning policy framework for future development in the Borough, we are already committed to providing high-quality housing that is affordable for local people but is also sustainable, including considering impacts on the environment.”