Research conducted by Lichfields indicates that challenges are arising for developers and local authorities due to outdated planning policies, a situation rooted in the uncertainty associated with the ongoing obligation to review existing policies
While the National Planning Policy Framework was meant to address the problem of outdated planning policies by requiring a review of plans every five years, new research has found that this process is not operating effectively.
What are the three main recommendations highlighted in the report?
- The current requirement to review local plans within five years is ineffective at ensuring local plans are kept up to date
- There has been a lack of clear guidance on what authorities must consider when undertaking their review
- The roll-out of the plan-making reforms is inadvertently delaying plan updates and undermining the review process
There is a lack of standardised methods for local plan reviews
The study looked at 55 local authorities that implemented a local plan with strategic policies between 2016/17 and 2017/18, just over 5 years ago.
It included case studies showcasing different approaches to local plan reviews, highlighting a lack of standardised methods, with significant variations in how authorities interpret the process.
Currently, laws, policies, and guidelines mandate a five-year review to assess policy updates, but they don’t specify a method.
The Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) offers considerations, but it’s not specific or binding, resulting in diverse approaches by local authorities.
To address this gap, the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) introduced a Local Plan Route Mapper Toolkit in 2021.
Lichfields’ research showed that most authorities conducting reviews concluded updates were necessary, with only five out of 55 determining no update was needed after a five-year review.
Reasons for updates included changes in national planning policy, responses to the climate crisis, and adjustments to local housing needs.
For authorities deciding to update the local plan, the process is lengthy, often extending beyond 10 years from the adoption of the existing plan to the expected adoption of the updated one. During this period, ineffective policies from the review remain in place.
