THE continued failure of Thurrock Council to meet new housing targets set by the government means new guidance could soon be in force in the borough.

That could see an end to some local opposition to building on green belt sites in the borough as planners have to adhere to the National Planning Policy Framework.

And it might handcuff planning decision-making at local level and could well mean less weight is given to some green belt arguments. The policy framework is insistent that 'decision-makers at every level should seek to approve applications for sustainable development where possible'.

Less weight might also be given to criteria like affordable homes. The government advice is: "Provision of affordable housing should not be sought for residential developments that are not major developments", meaning lots of smaller, infill developments might become more profitable and viable for developers and the opportunity to oppose them is reduced.

Thurrock Council failed to deliver 75 per cent of its new home target meaning it will become subject to the "presumption in favour of sustainable development", meaning they will be forced to give greater weight to the government's National Planning Policy Framework than their local policies on sites not included in an up-to-date local plan. Not that Thurrock has an up-to-date plan. One has been several years in the making but best estimates say it won't be ready until next year.

The council is now expected to identify more land in the borough for development.

The latest policy framework can be read in full via this link.

Thurrock is one of 55 authorities placed on the 'presumptive list' meaning and effectively if it doesn't get nearer to the government's expectations, it will lose some of its autonomy.

The council only managed to approve 59 per cent of the government's target for new homes over the past three years. The minimum target is 75 per cent. Over that period the government said 3,088 homes should be built in the borough, but the number achieved was 1,823.

In the past year Thurrock sanctioned 558 completed new homes out of a target of 1,068. That target had been adjusted to take account of coronavirus with the government saying: "The first national lockdown, announced on 23 March 2020, was an unprecedented event which saw temporary disruption to local authority planning services and the construction sector.

"We have reflected this in this year's results, and reduced the 'homes required' within the 2019 to 2020 year in the housing delivery test by a month.

"Government interventions have however allowed house building and planning services to operate safely during the pandemic, such as the temporary extension of construction hours and greater flexibility to how the planning Inspectorate operates appeals."

Housing minister Christopher Pincher has urged local authorities to update their local plans, saying 40 of those that failed to meet 75% of their target had local plans that were more than five years old. One of those is Thurrock.

He added: "A number of councils are not keeping plans up to date and I urge them to avoid any unnecessary delays and maintain progress on plan-making. Local plans not only unlock land for development and ensure the right number of new homes are being built in the right places, they also provide local communities with an opportunity to have their say on how their local areas will change."

Thurrock's failure to show significant sustained growth towards its targeted new homes tally bucks a national trend. Housing supply figures in 2019 to 2020 have shown the biggest increase in new homes in over 30 years, and the discrepancy in Thurrock appears to have landed the council on the naughty step.