Planning Speed Read – 9 January 2025

Possible 10,000 home New Town in Liverpool

Liverpool City Council has applied to the Minister of Housing, Communities, and Local Government for the designation of new town status for an area spanning five kilometres north of the city centre, with the authority hoping the project could deliver 10,000 new homes.

The new development will be known as Liverpool North and is strategically located within existing transport links, presenting a key opportunity for urban expansion and regeneration. Further, the proposal seeks to transform numerous brownfield sites, promoting economic growth and sustainability. This is assisted by the location encompassing Everton FC’s new £500m stadium at Bramley Moore Dock and the £20m Bootle New Strand development project.

New guidance for relevant authorities on seeking to further the purposes of Protected Landscapes – The Protected Landscapes duty

Defra has published new guidance in order to assist relevant authorities in complying with the “Protected Landscapes” duty found in section 245 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 (LURA).

Previously when undertaking planning functions (including local plan preparation, decision-making and the consideration of appeals and inquiries) authorities were required to “have regard to” the statutory purposes of Protected Landscapes. Now, authorities are expected to actively take “appropriate, reasonably, and proportionate steps” to further the statutory purposes of Protected Landscapes.

The term “Protected Landscapes” covers National Parks, the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads, and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (which are now to be referred to as “National Landscapes”).

The “statutory purposes” referred to above will vary depending on the type of Protected Landscape under consideration:

For National Parks, the statutory purposes are:

• conserving and enhancing the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the areas designated;
• promoting opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of those areas by the public;

For National Landscapes (areas of outstanding natural beauty) the statutory purposes are:

• conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the area of outstanding natural beauty;

For National Landscapes (areas of outstanding natural beauty) with Conservation Boards the statutory purposes are:

• conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the area of outstanding natural beauty;
• increasing the understanding and enjoyment by the public of the special qualities of the area of outstanding natural beauty;

For the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads the statutory purposes are:

• conserving and enhancing the natural beauty, wildlife, and cultural heritage of the Broads;
• promoting opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the Broads by the public;
• protecting the interests of navigation.

For more information, please click here.

Homes England’s new section 106 clearing service for affordable housing

In a study published on the 17^th December 2024, the Home Builders Federation (HBF) reported that the number of registered providers actively bidding for Section 106 affordable homes has fallen as a result of various economic and policy challenges facing the affordable housing sector, described by HBF as a ‘perfect storm’ .

Following consultation with housebuilders, registered providers (RPs) and local authorities (LAs), Homes England has set up a Section 106 Affordable Housing Clearing Service. This is to help facilitate and accelerate the sale of uncontracted and unsold affordable homes across England.

Housebuilders can use the service to provide details of affordable homes they have planning permission to build but have been unable to find a buyer for. This information is then available for RPs and LAs to view.

The aim is to provide greater visibility of opportunities, all in one place, to allow stakeholders to work together to get affordable homes to be sold and occupied. Whilst welcoming the recognition of the problems the section 106 market faces, HBF executive director David O’Leary also commented that “the fundamental problems are not inadequate information or communication but a lack of housing association capacity or appetite to invest”.

The scheme will only apply in England and will not apply across London, where the Greater London Authority has responsibility for the delivery of affordable housing.

For more information, please click here.