Dacorum Borough Council delays local plan

The council had been criticised for the plans, which would see 16,899 homes built in the area up until 2038 – including significant building on green belt land – and holding the public consultation during January’s national lockdown.

Cllr Alan Anderson, who is responsible for planning and infrastructure, insisted that “good progress” had been made over the last two years, but more time was needed to collect more evidence, and assess whether recent announcements by government ministers may affect the council’s housing target.

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Councils are required to submit a local plan which outlines major projects and sites for development for the long-term.

Dacorum Borough Council is currently working to update their plan up until 2038, which will earmark a number of locations for housing, as well as outlining employment sites and future infrastructure projects.

At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday night (July 27) councillors decided to defer publication of a final plan and holding a second public consultation, prior to submitting the plan to the Government.

Officers recommended deferring the publication of the plan, but warned that a delay of two years could cost the council around £600,000, and the council risks Government intervention if the plan cannot be completed by December 2023.

However, Cllr Anderson said the extra time would be used to call for new sites on brownfield land, as well as a review of current green belt sites following feedback from this year’s public consultation.

The council also said a report into visitor patterns could not be completed in 2020 due to the pandemic and associated lockdowns, meaning that work only commenced in Easter this year and will continue for much of this year.

Cllr Anderson said while that work continues, officers will also focus on addressing the key issues raised during the consultation, calling for new urban brownfield sites and new strategies for Hemel Hempstead town centre and Apsley, as well as a review of other non-green belt opportunities.

There will also be more evidence produced regarding where new infrastructure will be needed, and evidence regarding if there is any impact from Covid-19 and Brexit.

Cllr Anderson said: “At the risk of understatement, there is clearly a lot of work that needs to be done before officers and members have a better understanding of the changes that need to be made to the local plan. 

“Right now it would be premature of members to agree a further regulation 18 public consultation without an understanding of the outcomes of the evidence. For this reason, it is important that we give officers the space to progress this important work.”

Cllr Anderson also defended the council holding their consultation on the local plan between November 29, 2020 and February 28, 2021, which coincided with two national lockdowns.

Despite concerns about the public being able to access the necessary resources, the councillor said it was the largest amount of feedback the council had received for a consultation, to the best of his knowledge.

Cllr Anderson said: “We undertook that consultation against opposition from political opponents and some members of the public. However, we had to do it following the proper process, and what it has done is it has given us evidence as partners to inform our next steps on the local plan.

“I understand some people will be very impatient, but we need to ask everybody to be patient whilst we actually follow the proper process, do our own work and get things right so we move forward with the correct plan in the best possible way when we can.”

Cabinet agreed to defer the publication of the local plan and plans for a pre-submission public consultation, which makes it unlikely to take place this year.

A new timetable for the Local Plan progress will be finalised when there is more clarity on housing targets for the area and all evidence has been collected.