Building development in our area is a big concern and therefore I spend a lot of my time exploring this issue, especially as it can have such a large impact across our neighbourhoods. However, this often leads me to frustration as, at the crux of it, local planning is the sole domain of the Borough Council, and as an MP I have no legal powers in determining applications.
Below is some information on planning which may explain what is happening locally, why it's happening and who is responsible for what.
What it means for our area to not have an up-to-date Local Plan
UPDATE: 26th April 2023
Today I raised the failure of the Liberal Democrat-run Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council to produce an up-to-date Local Plan with the Prime Minister.
You can watch watch my question and the PM's response above, and read more about the impact that not having an up-to-date Local Plan in place is having on communities such as Burbage, Stoke Golding, Barwell and Markfield here: Bosworth's MP raises the importance of having an up-to-date Local Plan with the Prime Minister | Dr Luke Evans MP
UPDATE: 30th March 2023
The effect of not having an up-to-date Local Plan is well surmised by the recent appeal decision regarding an application for development in Markfield:
“17. The main parties agree that the ‘tilted balance’ set out by paragraph 11d) of the Framework is triggered in this instance, as HBBC cannot demonstrate a five-year housing land supply and because a number of relevant development plan policies are out of date. Paragraph 11dii) states that planning permission should be granted unless any adverse impacts of doing so would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in the Framework taken as a whole.”
For context, planning permission for the development of 93 homes off Ashby Road, Markfield was granted by the Inspectorate, despite residents in Markfield working diligently to produce a Neighbourhood Plan, because HBBC's failure to produce an up-to-date Local Plan means that Neighbourhood Plans across our area are being ridden roughshod over as "HBBC cannot demonstrate a five-year housing land supply".
You can read more about my campaign for Government to strengthen protections for Neighbourhood Plans in the relevant section below.
I have attached below the full appeal decision for this development, should you wish to read further.
I believe that the fundamental problem at the centre of most of our planning problems concerns Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council not having an up-to-date local plan. Despite the protestations of the leadership of our Council, the lack of an up-to-date local plan means our area is open to speculative development, with very little legal protection to try to stop inappropriate development; a huge cause for concern for me. Every day that goes past without and up to date plan our community is vulnerable to speculative development.
I have explored this issue further at Westminster. You can watch my intervention here: Question to the Housing Minister | In Parliament | Dr Luke Evans MP
Due to the occasionally unfortunate emotive nature of the planning debate, where people seek to take entrenched positions - sometimes for unproductive ends - I must stress that I am not against all development across our area. We do need to build more homes to ensure that local people, including our key workers, our young people seeking their first rung on the property ladder, families, and those who have retired and are looking to downsize, are able to have a suitable home to call their own.
However, I hope that development is sustainable embracing new technologies (especially energy saving devices mindful of the worldwide energy situation) and it's not to the detriment of necessary infrastructure whether that be our roads, public transport routes, local health and education provision or community spaces.
In essence, for me it boils down to “the right houses, in the right place, with the right infrastructure, that is right for our environment.”
I have heard misleading statements blaming the current issues about a lack of a local plan on Government policy. This is not correct. Both the Conservatives and Lib Dem’s in their manifesto’s committed to a target of 300,000 houses needed a year, which I broadly agree with.
In 2021 the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Party, Sir Ed Davey, welcomed an increase in their yearly housebuilding target from 300,000 to 380,000 by saying "our Local Authorities [that includes Lib Dem-ran Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council] do want more houses".
It is important to note that Government planning policy gives Planning Authorities, like the Borough Council, the power to plan the most suitable locations for future development and the infrastructure to support this through the Local Plan.
Sadly, due to a lack of clear direction being set by the current controlling group at Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, our area has not had an up-to-date local plan for some time now. This is the reason why so many speculative and piecemeal applications are being approved. Every day without an up-to date plan our community is vulnerable to inappropriate development. I have been pressing the Borough Council to address this issue as a matter of urgent priority.
Here you can see I raised the delay-plagued Local Plan with Levelling Up and Housing Secretary Michael Gove: Housing Secretary shares Bosworth MP’s dismay at Borough Council’s delay | Dr Luke Evans MP
National Government is aware of this issue; but the Local Plan process needs to be completed locally, by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council. The Housing Minister specifically wrote to the Borough Council about the delay in their plans. In a letter to myself and my parliamentary colleagues across Leicestershire dated 3 May 2022, the Minister stated:
“I should reiterate that it is critical for local areas to have an up-to-date Local Plan in place.”
The plan should identify development needed in an area, the location of the development, and certainly is provided for communities, businesses, and developments. The Minister states local communities must be at the heart of all stages in the planning process, including local plans, neighbourhood plans, design codes and on development applications. To be fair to our Council, some progress has been made, but not at a level which I think is satisfactory.
Progress of the Local Plan
The Council recently completed an important stage in the consultation process, setting out a vision and framework for future development in our area. You can read further about the Regulation 19 (Publication) phase of the Local Plan via this link: Local Plan Regulation 19 consultation | Local Plan Review Regulation 19 | Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council (hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk)
Representations closed on Wednesday 23 March 2022, and I will continue to seek updates from the Council on this important issue. However, at the time of writing, the latest update from the Borough Council states an up-to-date Local Plan is due to be adopted in August 2025.
I am also aware of further concerns raised by Leicestershire County Council about the Draft Local Plan not having an accompanying up-to-date Sustainability Appraisal. Issues have been raised about transport, schools and environment and I have urged the Borough Council to work with the County Council and address the significant issues that appear to be at the heart of this dispute, but again I must recognise my limitations.
I cannot determine the progress of the local plan, as local planning is the sole domain of the Borough Council. However, I will continue to engage with the Leader of the Council to encourage the process forward, which I am concerned seems to be extremely cumbersome and without the necessary urgency.
You can find further information on how the Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council Local Plan is progressing here: Local plan review 2020 to 2039 | Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council (hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk)
Housing: Leicestershire v Leicester
I recently joined my parliamentary colleagues across the County in a meeting with the Housing Minister, the Rt Hon Stuart Andrew MP to raise concerns about the overspill housing numbers from Leicester expected across Leicestershire and Rutland. I am seeking an appointment with the Housing Minister to explore these process issues in further depth.
I, along with my Conservative colleagues, believe that the City of Leicester should, and could, do more to attract necessary inward investment to regenerate areas of the city to attractive quality housing developments. I was pleased the Minister did acknowledge these important points and he assured us that the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill may assist us to ensure that our concerns are considered in a fair and workable manner minimising the unnecessarily high housing numbers due to be placed on local authorities in Leicestershire and Rutland.
Which is why I was pleased to see the Government commit to replacing the onerous duty to co-operate with a more flexible requirement in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, which is currently progressing through the House. You can read more on this here: Bosworth’s MP welcomes removal of onerous housing overspill requirement | Dr Luke Evans MP
I will continue to follow the Bill with interest.
The Planning Department
I have considerable professional sympathy for staff working in the Planning Departments in Local Councils. I believe that everyone working in public service, comes to work with a sense of duty and wants to do their very best for their local community. However, I do have concerns about staffing levels in the Planning Department at Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, on which I have already made enquiries with the Council’s leadership.
Following my recent meeting with the Chief Executive, I wrote to Homes England to ask whether there is any further support they can offer the Borough Council to address some of the staffing and logistical challenges currently being faced by the borough Council’s Planning Department.
Subsequently, Homes England offered to support the Council in the development of a longer-term recruitment and retention strategy. Homes England were willing to have those conversations at one of their regular meetings with HBBC, should that be helpful.
Homes England is supporting the first phase of Public Practice’s national expansion. Public Practice is a social enterprise who have successfully implemented a professional placement programme which matches skilled people with public authority hosts. I offered to link the Council with Public Practice.
I cannot order the Council to pursue a course of action, but I do hope that the Council positively reviews this representation.
What have I been doing at Westminster?
I thought that it would be helpful to highlight my ongoing work about national planning policy at Westminster. In my first year as your MP, I submitted substantial responses to the Government’s call for evidence about possible changes to national planning policy. This was an important moment in terms of the future of the planning system.
I also worked with other parliamentary colleagues to get changes to the planning algorithm which determines the number of houses that are targeted to be built in given areas. I argued that a potential 100% increase in our housing numbers was untenable, and I was pleased that the Government eventually agreed that the numbers would stay the same as the previous system.
You can see my speech about the topic here: Planning reform and house building targets in relation to the White Paper | Dr Luke Evans MP
I raised the issue with the Housing Minister: Question to the Housing Minister | In Parliament | Dr Luke Evans MP
Protecting the Countryside
I am also looking to explore ideas about the importance of protecting our treasured countryside. My intervention in a Westminster Hall debate on Wildbelt Designation is one such example.
You can watch my speech here: Planning Debate | Dr Luke Evans MP.
I always look for further opportunities at Westminster to explore these issues.
Neighbourhood Plans
I am aware that for many communities across Bosworth, the Neighbourhood Plan process has been an essential and worthwhile activity that has helped local people to determine the future of their communities.
You can read more about neighbourhood plans via this weblink: Neighbourhood planning - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
I advocate for a stronger role for neighbourhood plans in local and national planning policy.
In January 2022, I asked the Minister for Housing and Planning about the role of neighbourhood plans in future national planning policy. I will continue seek to champion the cause of neighbourhood plans at Westminster with the aim of making the process more straightforward and the protections offered more robust.
Last year I secured a Westminster Wall Debate on Neighbourhood Planning, you can read about the debate and watch my speech here: Legislate to protect Neighbourhood Plans, urges Bosworth MP | Dr Luke Evans MP
Land Banking
I recently asked the Planning Minister what is being done to tackle ‘land banking’, where developers buy a section of land but don’t build on it.
I believe we need the right houses in the right place, with the right infrastructure and the right protections for our heritage and environment. We need houses that families can aspire to and, in our area, we need houses that older generations can downsize to.
But appropriate space for housing is finite and developers who land bank take those opportunities away from our community.
You can watch the Minister's response here: Bosworth's MP welcomes plans to tackle land banking | Dr Luke Evans MP
