No. The Government has made it clear that housing is fundamental to revitalising the economy, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic. National Planning Policy requires Councils to support economic growth and productivity and to meet the housing and jobs requirements of their local area.
The starting point for calculating our employment and housing requirement will be established by Government. If we do not plan to meet our requirements, we will lose significant control over where development might happen, and the infrastructure and services it could provide.
Each year the Council must demonstrate that it has planned or granted planning permission for enough houses to meet housing need for the coming five years. This is known as the five-year housing land supply. If we can’t demonstrate that we have a supply of housing land, there is a presumption in favour of development in national planning policy. This means sites that haven’t been identified in our Local Plan but are assessed as suitable for development, will be granted planning permission to help deliver additional homes. This reduces the Council’s control over where development is allowed and exposes the area to an increased risk of development in unwanted areas. To provide some protection, the Council adds a buffer of 10% on top of our housing figures.
For further information see our five-year housing land supply.