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Government to abolish Regional Spatial Strategies
15-Jul-2010
South Northamptonshire Council, along with all planning authorities, has received a letter from the Government which confirms that Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) have been revoked.
The Council’s Cabinet considered the implications of this decision, and supporting guidance, for the way it will decide planning applications. The Council has concluded that the revocation of the RSS makes little difference to the way we deal with planning applications in the short term. However, it will do so in the longer term, once there is an up-to-date Core Strategy in place that takes account of whatever revised figures are agreed to replace the RSS targets. In the absence of robust revised housing targets for South Northamptonshire, and until such time that these revised figures have been prepared and agreed, the Council will continue to provide for the housing level of 330 dwellings per annum that has been previously used.
Steven Shuttleworth, South Northamptonshire Council’s Director of Service Delivery and Head of Planning, said: “The new announcement removes the uncertainty about the basis on which councils should decide planning applications, which has existed since the Minister’s previous announcement on 27 May. It means the Council can now proceed to decide on some types of planning applications, such as large scale developments in our villages, which had been put on hold. We will review these applications as soon as practicable.”
Councillor Robin Digby, the Council’s Portfolio Holder for Development Implementation, said: “It is very good news that previous targets for excessive housing growth levels have been abolished. However, until we can get an up-to-date plan and targets in place based on robust evidence about local housing needs, we will have to provide a housing land supply based on previous targets. In the meantime, we now have clarity from Government that enables us to start to decide planning applications that had been delayed.”