Resolved –

Council notes:

·         The Executive has already agreed a review of housing numbers in July 2018.

·         The Council’s Core Strategy was adopted in July 2017, approved by a government inspector, reviewed directly via government call-in and released without amendment. The Government has stated that any adopted strategy within the last five years is still valid.

·         The decision of the Executive in July 2018 to nonetheless conduct a partial review of the Core Strategy in light of the Government’s proposals to amend the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) introducing a standard methodology, which would reduce planned housing numbers across the north of England.

·         The consultation responses to the NPPF proposals submitted by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) and the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) expressing their concerns over the new methodology, including Conservative-led Council members, that the new methodology could stifle growth across the north of England while encouraging additional growth in the south, further exacerbating the North-South divide.

·         The Office of National Statistics (ONS) recent publication of update Household Projections in England suggests a further reduction of housing need well below the government target of 300,000 a year and that the Government acknowledge the obvious issues caused by these figures with a revised methodology due before the end of the year to address this.

·         That the ONS update these figures every two years and should clearly be viewed in the context of Local Plans that have to anticipate need and demand for 15-20 year periods.

·         Finally, Council notes the expectation stated by the Government that any new methodology would be considered a baseline for considering housing need, and that it does not take into account local growth plans such as that outlined in our Economic Strategy.

Council resolves:

That the partial review of the Core Strategy is subject to appropriate public consultation and is brought back to Full Council for debate at the publication draft stage prior to submission.

ACTION:        Strategic Director Place