Council delays Local Plan submission to get more evidence to protect green belt

This was approved by councillors at Tuesday’s Full Council meeting along with the Local Development Scheme, which sets out the next key stages for the Local Plan.

The government has been consulting on a new NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) and had proposed a mandatory target of 13,303 homes for Three Rivers over the next 18 years. This is an increase on previous government figures.

Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst, Council Leader, said, “We are committed to protecting as much of our green belt as possible. The government’s new policies now require us to provide clear evidence that release of green belt would fundamentally undermine its function across the area of the plan (Three Rivers).

“Effectively, this means preventing merging of communities in our area. That is a key function of the green belt. We have already undertaken massive work of green belt sites, promoted by developers, and rated them from low to very high harm and excluded sites from rated moderate to very high harm from our last plan, which received large support from residents and community and environmental groups.

“Officers have advised that this new crucial piece of work must now be undertaken if the council wishes to make a case for not meeting the government’s housing target in full.  Whilst this means a delay in submitting a plan, I do not want the council to be forced to submit a plan for 13,000 homes which is what we would have to do without this new work.”

As a result of the delay, the council will again seek new brownfield sites for development as, so far, only about 1,000 homes can be provided on such sites. The council will also update other evidence including an updated open space sport and recreation study.

Cllr Giles-Medhurst added: “The updated Local Development Scheme pushes back the expected adoption date by a few months to give our officers enough time to build our case further that this high housing figure is unrealistic. If we can move quicker once we gather the extra evidence, we will."

The key dates are now:

· Publication (Regulation 19) – February/March 2026

· Submission (to planning inspectorate) – April/May 2026

· Adoption – September/October 2026