Local plan coverage continues to grow, with 58% of local authorities now successful in adopting a plan since the introduction of the NPPF compared with 51% in 2018. In the year to 1 March 2019, 28 new local authorities adopted a local plan.

However, during the same period, 20 local plans reached their fifth anniversary since adoption, meaning they are due for a review according to the 2018 revisions to the NPPF. This is in addition to the 28 local authorities that were overdue for a review of their local plan when the 2018 NPPF was introduced. It remains to be seen how local authorities will treat the review process. There is a risk of coverage of up-to-date plans reducing as more become due a review.

The rush to adopt

The cut-off date to submit plans for examination under the policies of the 2012 NPPF was 24 January 2019. All plans submitted after this date will be subject to the revised tests in the 2018 NPPF. In the three months to January 2019, 12 local authorities submitted their plans for examination. This is higher than the eight plans submitted during the same period the previous year and substantially higher than the six local plans submitted for examination in the three months to January 2017.

In terms of the factors driving the decision to submit a local plan prior to January 2019, the level of housing appears to be a key factor. The housing requirements proposed in these local plans represent a shortfall of more than 2,700 against the standard methodology for calculating housing need that would have applied had the plans been submitted for examination after the January deadline.

At the other end of the process, 34 local plans will be coming up for review in the next 12 months, as they will be more than five years old. If these local authorities have to review their local plans using housing targets derived from the standard methodology, 15 of them would see their annual requirement rise, at an average increase of 23%.

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