Councillors agreed to withdraw Rochford District Council’s support for a previously submitted Expression of Interest to the Government’s New Towns Taskforce at a meeting of the Planning Policy Committee this week (11 June).
The New Towns Taskforce, is an independent expert group advising the Government on plans for new communities. Last November, the Taskforce invited submissions from councils across the country to highlight potential locations for new homes, as part of a new town development. A joint submission with Southend-on-Sea City Council identified land north of Southend as a possible area for development.
However, since the submission was made, the government have confirmed publicly that any new towns proposed would be additional to local housing needs, rather than contributing to the targets councils already need to meet. This is contrary to the assumptions made as part of the councils’ submission, where it was stated that any new development would need to count towards meeting local housing delivery as stated in the National Planning Framework.
The Council’s new leadership recognises and supports the importance of delivering high-quality, affordable homes for local residents. However, after careful consideration, it has been concluded that pursuing the New Towns Expression of Interest would place significant pressure on existing local services and infrastructure. As a result, the committee has formally decided to withdraw its support for the submission.
Councillor Simon Wootton, Chair of the Planning Policy Committee at Rochford District Council, said: “We believe the original submission was based on a different understanding of how new towns would relate to the new housing numbers the government have set our district. It’s important that we take a clear position to avoid supporting excessive levels of development beyond what is required to be delivered locally. We remain committed to shaping sustainable growth through the Local Plan process, in consultation with our residents.”
The Council will now write to the New Towns Taskforce to confirm the withdrawal of support.
Councillor Danielle Belton, Leader of Rochford District Council has also confirmed her intention to review how the New Towns Bid submission came to be made to ensure future council decision making is as open and transparent as possible.