20,000-Home Development on Hold after Localism Bill Fears

Plans to build 20,000 homes in Stevenage have been thrown out after the Planning Inspectorate deemed the council’s draft Core Strategy ‘unsound’. Stevenage is designated as a major housing and employment growth point in the regional strategy, the East of England Plan, which was adopted in May 2008. The plan involved Stevenage Council linking with North Hertfordshire District Council – who were planning to build 9,600 homes as part of an urban extension. However North Herts backed out of the expansion in June 2010 after Eric Pickles announced he would abolish regional strategies with the Localism Bill. Instead, powers are proposed for districts to set their own local housing targets and as such North Herts has begun work on setting its own target in anticipation of the passage of the Bill. The authority told the Inspector, Douglas Machin, it was unlikely that any local target would make provision for Stevenage’s needs. This convinced the Inspector that the growth of the town planned in Stevenage’s draft Core Strategy is now undeliverable. Read more on Inside Housing.