Judge Puts NPPF over Localism Act

A High Court judge has ruled that the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) takes precedence over the Localism Act and out-of-date or incomplete local development plans after a case involving a 1,000-home development in Gloucestershire.  Tewkesbury Borough Council sought to overturn a decision by Eric Pickles, which approved 1,000 new homes on open farmland at Bishop’s Cleve, Gloucester.  Mr Justice Males found that the existing local plan was out of date and therefore carried little weight. Despite an emerging joint core strategy between Tewkesbury Borough Council, Gloucester City Council and Cheltenham Borough Council, that strategy was incapable of meeting the demand for housing over the next five years.  Read more on Tewkesbury BC website.