NPPF has not lead to cut in housing targets, research shows

The research by planning consultancy Nathaniel Lichfield Partners (NLP) showed that 55 local plans by local authorities have been examined or submitted for examination since the NPPF was launched in March 2012. Of those, 55% had proposed a reduction in their housing targets.

Examiners found 18 plans sound, however, 44% of those were only approved after having increased their submitted housing targets. Five of the plans that were found sound will be subject to immediate or early review of their housing targets. Two plans were withdrawn by the local authorities on the basis of soundness concerns.

Only two of the plans that were found sound were approved with housing targets lower than the regional strategy for their area and lower than Government household projections. Both plans are subject to early review.

NLP said that the figures reflect the "ghost in the machine" effect of local authorities needing to maintain conformity with the regional strategy for their area prior to its revocation. It said that the next 12 months will give a clearer view on whether the NPPF has achieved its objective of providing a "significant boost" to housing supply as regional strategies will have been abolished.

Many participants at examinations had also failed to meet the NPPF requirement to provide evidence to ensure that local plans meet the full objectively assessed need for market and affordable housing, NLP said.

"Localism created a political expectation that housing targets could be cut, but this is not being reflected in sound plans," said NLP director Matthew Spry. "Over the past twelve months, the NPPF has been putting upward pressure on housing targets and only the historic but extant regional strategies and/or a lack of good quality evidence has stopped plans from having to increase their targets even further," he said.