Tag Archives: planning

The new NPPF: why consultation can no longer be a tick-box exercise

The government surprised us over the summer recess by unveiling the updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), showing the new Prime Minister’s urgency to get Britain building. However, the changes have left councillors concerned about how much control they will have over development in their area. With their ability to refuse applications potentially reduced, early engagement and consultation will become increasingly important for councillors and residents to influence proposals.

The new framework places greater emphasis on national planning policy and strengthens the presumption in favour of development. For major applications, it also expects developers to engage with stakeholders early to identify and address key planning issues before submission.

Additionally, the government’s proposals for a national scheme of delegation is due to come into force in October this year, which would see more applications decided by officers. One councillor told me that residents will be “very upset” when they understand the implications, leaving councillors having to explain why they are “unable to do anything”.

Cllr Chris Hossack (Reform), cabinet member at Essex County Council and a Chelgate colleague, said the changes were “a step towards centralisation of planning policy”, with less weight given to local plans where their policies conflict with national policy. However, he also acknowledged that some councils had “brought this upon themselves by making poor quality refusal decisions that are not defendable”.

This is an issue we sometimes see at planning committees. Councillors refuse applications against officer advice, only for those decisions to be overturned at appeal. They can then tell residents they opposed the development, but their hands were tied by central government. The result is often the same development, but with just delays and costs to the taxpayer.

The new NPPF could help change that mindset. If councillors know an application is likely to be approved, there is little point sticking their heads in the sand. They might as well engage early, raise residents’ concerns and work with the developer to get the best possible outcome for their community.

This does not mean, however, developers can do the bare minimum. If consultation becomes the main opportunity to influence proposals, it needs to be more than a tick-box exercise. Holding an exhibition, collecting comments and submitting a Statement of Community Involvement does not necessarily mean residents or councillors have genuinely been listened to.

Cllr Hossack said developers need to listen through “meaningful prior engagement”, identify local needs and ensure housing growth can be accommodated by local services and infrastructure. Developers should therefore show how feedback has influenced their proposals, whether through changes to access, building heights, landscaping or local infrastructure. Where concerns cannot be addressed, they should explain why.

Hossack added “My own view is that the changes will hopefully encourage developers and councillors to work better together, rather than councillors refusing to engage and developers treating consultation as a tick-box exercise. Residents will always find ways to frustrate applications if they feel development is being forced upon them. If you can show that feedback has influenced proposals and secured community benefits it should help to build local trust and make for a smoother planning committee meeting”.

South Midlands August Update

Chelgate Local operates in three regions. South Midlands covers Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire. To view our South Midlands team and projects, please see our Midlands page. To discuss upcoming projects in the region, please call Guy Orton, Senior Account Executive, on 020 7939 7950 or email.

Buckinghamshire 

August was a quiet month with no major planning application decisions in Buckinghamshire. 

There were no defections, new vacancies or by-election dates announced in Buckinghamshire during the month. 

Northamptonshire 

August was also quiet for major planning applications in North Northamptonshire, while West Northamptonshire Strategic Planning Committee mat on 18 August and considered several major schemes: an outline application for up to 450 homes on land northeast of Brackley Grange Cottages, Halse Road, Brackley was approved, and members also approved a reserved matters application for 169 homes at Dallington Grange, Kingsthorpe. A reserved matters application for 35 homes on land at Overstone Lane, Overstone, was also approved, and an application for 128 homes at Towcester Vale, Towcester was similarly approved. 

There were no defections, new vacancies or by-election dates announced in Northamptonshire during August. 

West Northamptonshire Council’s Planning Policy Committee heard that the authority had identified a 4.3 year housing land supply as of April 2026 – down from the 5.5 years which was predicted in 2025. The council is therefore unable to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply. 

Warwickshire 

Rugby Borough Council 

Rugby Planning Committee met on 5 August and considered no major planning applications.  

There were no defections, new vacancies or by-election dates announced in Rugby during June. 

Rugby’s political group leaders have written jointly to the Government supporting its decision to create two new unitary councils in Warwickshire, with Rugby set to be grouped with North Warwickshire and Nuneaton and Bedworth. While the groups previously held different views on local government reorganisation, they have agreed to work together to protect Rugby’s interests, calling for a strong local voice, fair representation, sustainable funding, and meaningful local decision-making, including the creation of a Rugby Town Council. 

Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council 

In Nuneaton, the Planning Applications Committee did not meet in August with the next meeting scheduled for 22 September.  

There were no defections or local by-elections announced during the month. 

Cambridgeshire

Cambridge City Council 

Cambridge City Council’s Joint Development Management Committee met on 19 August and approved the reserved matters application for the appearance, layout and scale for 425 homes and flexible commercial floorspace at land north of Cambridge North Station. The Planning Committee did not meet in August, with the next meeting scheduled for 2 September. 

There were no defections or local by-elections announced during the month. 

East Cambridgeshire District Council 

East Cambridgeshire District Council’s Planning Committee met on 5 August and approved the major application for 60 homes at Millstone Park (phase 6) in Newmarket.  

There were no defections or local by-elections announced during the month. 

South Cambridgeshire District Council  

South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Planning Committee met on 12 August and approved number of applications including a 49.99MW solar farm at land off Low Fen in Horningsea and an application for 58 residential living apartments in Cambourne. 

There were no defections or local by-elections announced during the month. 

Huntingdonshire District Council  

In Huntingdonshire, the Development Management Committee met on 17 August and considered no major planning applications.  

Huntingdonshire District Council has been left without a majority after two Green councillors quit the Liberal Democrat-led coalition, citing a loss of confidence in the administration. Cllrs Lara Davenport-Ray and Stephen Ferguson said their concerns included the handling of town centre regeneration proposals, particularly plans shared by developers to build homes on council-owned car parks in St Neots, St Ives and Huntingdon, which they argue go beyond what cabinet originally agreed. 

Peterborough City Council 

Peterborough City Council’s Planning and Environmental Protection Committee did not meeting August, with the next meeting scheduled for 1 September. 

The Fletton and Woodston by-election has now been confirmed for Thursday 16 July. The by-election follows the resignation of Daisy Blakemore-Creedon in May. Ms Blakemore-Creedon had been sitting as an independent councillor when she resigned, having originally been elected for Labour in 2024. All candidates have now been confirmed for the vote. 

Cambridge Local Government Reform news 

Two Liberal Democrat MPs have urged the Government not to proceed with “Option D” for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough local government reorganisation, warning it would be a flawed approach with limited public support. The option would split the area into three unitary authorities, but the MPs argue that if ministers cannot identify a model clearly in the interests of local people, retaining the current system would be preferable to creating financially weak or poorly aligned councils. 

Oxfordshire

Cherwell District Council 

Cherwell District Council’s Planning Committee meeting for 13 August was cancelled; the next meeting is scheduled for 3 September.  

There was no election updates announced in Cherwell during the month. 

South Oxfordshire District Council 

South Oxfordshire District Council’s Planning Committee met on 17 June, with one major housing application approved for 16 homes at Pennyhill, Harpsden. 

There were also no defections, vacancies or by-election updates announced during August.  

West Oxfordshire District Council 

West Oxfordshire District Council’s Development Management Sub-committee meeting on 10 August to discuss a number of applications including an outline application for up to 80 homes on land off Common Road, North Leigh. The application was recommended for approval but the application was refused amid fears of an Iron Age monument and concerns the proposal was “not proportionate or appropriate”. The next meeting on 14 August has been cancelled, and the next meeting is scheduled for 7 September. 

There were no defections, vacancies or by-election updates announced during August.  

Vale of White Horse District Council 

Vale of White Horse District Council’s Planning Committee meeting on 19 August was cancelled. 

No councillor or election updates.  

Bedfordshire

Bedford Borough Council 

Bedford Borough Council’s Planning Committee met on 10 August but no major residential applications were discussed. 

There were no election updates announced in Bedford during June. 

Central Bedfordshire Council 

In August, the development management committee met on 26 August and discussed a minor solar farm (7MW) application with battery energy storage at land north A603 in Sandy, which was approved. Plus, they discussed an outline application for the for demolition of existing dwelling and erection of up to 17 dwellings and off Station Road, Langford. The application was also approved  

There were no election updates announced in Central Bedfordshire during June. 

Luton Council 

Luton Council’s Development Management Committee did not meet in August with their next meeting scheduled for 23 September.  

Cllr David Franks, who was elected for the Liberal Democrats in Barnfield ward, has left the party over its nomination of a Reform UK councillor for a committee post. 

Sophie Coghlan

Senior Account Executive

Sophie Coghlan graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in July 2024 with a marketing degree and joined Chelgate Local in August 2025 as an account executive. She was promoted to senior account executive in February 2026.

Sophie is passionate about growing her career in public affairs and public relations, focusing on planning communications and community engagement.

She has been working primarily on projects in the North Thames region, in particular Essex and Hertfordshire.

Email:  Sophie Coghlan
Tel: 020 7939 7950

 

County councils step up

By Michael Hardware, Director of Planning and Property

This article was published in Housebuilder magazine on September 7, 2018. You can view it here (registration required).

The role of county councils in planning appears to be changing. Hertfordshire County Council last year called for more planning powers to be able to provide infrastructure, whereas earlier this year it was rumoured that failed local plans may well be passed to county councils to oversee. Some councils are already taking a far greater role in the planning of larger developments, especially garden towns and villages.

This could be a belated step to fill the strategic planning black hole created in 2011 following the demise of regional targets and Regional Development Agencies. This was an issue raised in Housebuilding as long ago as 2009 and led to the then coalition government creating a ‘duty to cooperate’, and we all know how successful that has been!

“Counties should and do play a key role in coordinating between districts and boroughs,” said Cllr Kevin Bentley, deputy leader of Essex County Council, “in effect facilitating that duty to cooperate.

“Apart from the ability we have to join-up the thinking across the district borders, all county councils must have a greater strategic role in the delivery of infrastructure for development. It is critical this is considered earlier in the plan process and brought forward in a more timely way.”

If there was ever a greater example of where an over-arching authority was needed it is Harlow, also in Essex. Having outgrown its new town borders, it faces proposed expansion of over 20,000 new homes being in three planning districts and infrastructure involving two county councils. Without oversight this development will move forward in a fragmented and uncoordinated way, and that is before politics intervenes, which it invariably does especially when different parties are in control.

Regional mayors are mooted to be the solution to many things including strategic planning, even though they are not being adopted everywhere. Although few have yet taken planning powers, most have indicated they will. The Cambridge and Peterborough Mayor has strong views on development and will undoubtedly produce a spatial plan for his region in collaboration with the districts and county in the coming months. But is this additional level of bureaucracy needed when the counties already exist?

Inward investment

County councils already have a role in promoting inward investment, and that is directly related to growth. Cllr Gagan Mohindra, portfolio holder for economic development at Essex County Council said: “Decisions to relocate are often long and complicated and involve studies of potential areas including infrastructure, availability of labour with the right mix of skills, and location of supply chain and support services.

“Enterprise zones are important growth accelerators as they attract new industries to an area. This makes the considerations even more important as generally these zones are coupled with growth areas able to support these new industries and sectors.”

Graham Sutton, cabinet member for planning at Dacorum Council, can see cooperation happening on this: “There has been very productive collaboration between my council in Hemel Hempstead, St Albans, Hertfordshire County and the Herts LEP on delivering the Enterprise Zone.

“We are also working with Hertfordshire County Council on the A414 project, which also involves the other district and county councils along the corridor to Chelmsford.”

County councils already play a role in local planning through highways and education provision, but even here they have not excelled. Most of us have been at consultations where local councillors and residents ask about traffic, health and schools and the answers given are more often than not about the obligatory contribution that will be made but no specifics being available. Often, solutions are considered once a development has been long completed.  Perhaps this is a little general, but could county councils do better here? The answer is undoubtedly yes.

Roles need clarity

The wider role of county councils seems to vary immensely with some getting involved at a strategic level and others just at the infrastructure delivery level. Andrew Taylor, head of planning at Countryside, said: “It is certainly a very mixed picture across the country.

“There are examples of where county councils have brought forward infrastructure ahead of development, such as North West Cambridge where a primary school was built before the housing delivery, but it is a delicate balance between development and provision of infrastructure.

“Generally, counties should be more proactive and get involved earlier, providing details of solutions for education and highways, and a realistic timescale when these will be delivered. They could also coordinate agencies on health delivery.”

The role of county councils does need more clarity both in terms of its delivery on its existing role as well as their greater strategic involvement, but MHCLG currently seems happy to let individual counties decide its level of involvement in local planning.

Cllr Dr Richard Moore, chairman of the Strategic Planning and Infrastructure Committee at Basildon Council, and an Essex County Councillor, sees that counties could play a key role. He said: “With some careful thought, the existing role of counties could be enhanced to ensure delivery of solutions for developments in terms of infrastructure that concerns local communities.”

“Local communities would be far more likely to accept development if the infrastructure is made available first so communities could see the new roads, junctions, roundabouts, and schools, up front before the hundreds of houses become a reality – Infrastructure First!

“Counties could also play a key strategic role in wider areas where there needs cross-border coordination and collaboration, such as with garden communities, providing the key infrastructure solutions, but this has to be at the outset, when the site or sites are being promoted, so that those involved – developers, councils and residents alike – have full information upon which to comment and make decisions.”

As to whether counties should be inflicted upon districts and boroughs against their will, such as with the local plan process, is another matter. Cllr Chris White, a St Albans District and Hertfordshire County councillor, does not think counties can get more involved in local planning because they do not have the capability or the experience to do it.”

This is a view many would support, although the strategic position county councils currently occupy does lend itself to a wider role in local planning.

Michael Hardware is an Essex County and Harlow District councillor. He is also an Associate Director at planning public affairs consultancy Chelgate Local.

Letwin Review highlights need for more housing variation

Sir Oliver Letwin, who was charged with the task of explaining the “significant gap” between housing completions and the amount of land allocated in areas of high demand, has released his eagerly awaited interim report.

As in his letter in March, Letwin does stress that the “homogeneity of the types and tenures of the homes on offer and the limit on the rate at which the market will absorb them are the fundamental drivers of the slow rate of build out”.

He urges house builders to diversify the homes constructed within each site to cater to different markets simultaneously – thus accelerating build out rates.

Different strokes for different folks

Letwin suggests developers look at providing different types of tenure – open market sale, open market private rented, ‘affordable’ rented and ‘social’ rented – as well as different forms of accommodation, such as retirement housing and student living blocks, all as part of the same scheme.

The report finds that buyers for these different tenure types don’t compete, so developers could develop more of a site at once without driving property prices down and threatening their business model.

In addition, rather than building rows of identikit semi-detached homes with monotonous landscaping and bland interiors, house builders could also offer custom- and self-build options, or simply provide a variety of looks to appeal to different tastes.

Whether builders accept this or not is another matter – they stand to lose out if they are forced to diversify their housing offer across sites.

Letwin is also cagey on how this diversification will take place, saying the ‘policy levers’ to bring this about while not harming sites economically will form the second half of his review, reporting to Budget.

Banking on land?

Significantly, Letwin finds that none of the UK’s biggest housebuilders deliberately ‘land bank’, with no evidence that developers sit on land they own and then wait for it to rise in value to maximise their profits.

He states: “Their business models depend on generating profits out of sales of housing, rather than out of the increasing value of land holdings; and it is the profitability of the sale of housing that they are trying to protect by building only at the ‘market absorption rate’ for their products.”

We absolutely didn’t need a drawn-out Government Review to tell us this, of course, but having official evidence could aid future Government funding decisions on driving up housebuilding.

What’s more, by moving towards a more varied housing model and accelerating build out rates, developers might finally be able to disprove the myth of land banking once and for all.

You can read the full report here.

 

Housing

“Chelgate has been working with me for over 20 years, at several companies, and have always provided candid political insights.” Martin Leyland, Vanderbilt Strategic (formerly Rapleys, Barratt Strategic and Wilcon Homes)

Housing is a national and a local priority, but building homes anywhere is always a challenge. Chelgate Local supports projects across the housing spectrum from large scale private development to regenerating town centres. Working with national housebuilders, leading housing associations, land promoters, land owners and planning consultants, we have promoted new home schemes across London and the Home Counties, the South East, East Anglia and the East Midlands.

Our programmes include political, community and stakeholder engagement

A selection of our recent projects include:

Chipping Ongar, Essex

Bellway Homes North Thames acquired a site on Greensted Road, Ongar, which already had a history: although an allocated site, a previous application had attracted 500 objections and had been refused, and a subsequent appeal in 2022 was unsuccessful

Chelgate Local helped with an extensive political and community engagement programme for an application for 85 homes. It was unanimously approved by Epping Forest District Council in February 2025, attracting just 12 objections. Five of the council members, including two ward councillors, unusually congratulated the development team on the early and comprehensive engagement. Comments included: “This is a really good development and it does reflect the cooperation between the parish council and the developer, and also the residents” and “…I think that they should be a lesson to other developers of how to do this”. Another councillor said: “This is one of those wonderfully happy stories where the residents have had great consultation with the developers: that’s really really lovely to see.”

Codicote, Hertfordshire

Taylor Wimpey North Thames was proposing 68 new homes on a former garden centre site in the village of Codicote. Chelgate Local assisted with political and community engagement as the project came forward to North Hertfordshire Council planning. It was approved in December 2022.

Heybridge North Garden Suburb, Essex

Chelgate assisted Bellway Thames Gateway with navigating planning at Maldon District council for 262 new homes on three parcels within the Heybridge North Garden Community, masterplanned by Countryside. The committee originally deferred its decision but subsequently consented the application unanimously in December 2022.

Wokingham, Berkshire

We are assisting Berkeley Homes with political and community engagement around a planning application for circa 375 homes in Wokingham. Proposals include a community building with flexible space for local classes and events and an on site SANG.

Neopost House, Romford, London Borough of Havering

Chelgate has provided Galliard Homes with political and community engagement for planning applications for a development of 123 homes and a health centre in Romford, Havering. Located around the historic Neopost House building, the proposed development will provide three blocks with affordable housing through social rent and shared ownership, as well as green recreation space for families.

Chelgate led on the extensive community and political engagement for the site, generating positive resident feedback and working with local councillors to agree wider improvements to the local area.

Walkern, East Hertfordshire

Chelgate is assisting Welbeck Land bring forward an application for an Inspired Village in this Hertfordshire village. The proposals are for 120 homes with communal and community facilities which could include a gym, shop, health centre and community space. Chelgate has helped with political and community engagement.

West Hemel, Hertfordshire

This development of 1,100 new homes to the west of Hemel was promoted jointly by Barratt DWH and Taylor Wimpey North Thames. We assisted with the political engagement as the planning application came forward for consideration by the committee at Dacorum Council. It was approved in early 2020.

High Halstow, Kent

A development of 68 on the edge of High Halstow, a village on the Hoo Peninsular in Kent for Redrow South East. Chelgate assisted with detailed political and community engagement including comprehensive canvassing around the site and engagement with health and education. The project gained consent from Medway Council in 2018. Chelgate has subsequently been retained by Redrow to promote the site opposite, this time for 780 homes.

Bracknell Forest, Berkshire

We assisted Warfield Park, the country’s second largest park home site, to secure planning consent for 82 new park homes on its 500+ site in Bracknell Forest. Park homes have different planning requirements as they are not development, they are a change of use of the land. Chelgate provided community and political engagement, as well as exhibition, drop-in sessions, door-to-door canvassing and newsletters. Work on the new homes starts later in 2023.

Springfield Mill, Maidstone, Kent

The regeneration a former paper factory to create a residential oasis in the heart of the town. The Whatman paper factory, originally established some 300 years ago, once employed over 1,000 people: it is an integral part of the history of paper-making. Redrow South East proposed a development of around 200 homes very much in keeping with the history of the site and the existing Listed buildings. Chelgate assisted with political engagement and local community and stakeholder consultation for this historic site – we were a finalist in the Planning Project of the Year category of the PRCA public affairs awards in 2019.

“Sometimes it is difficult to see the value of political and community engagement being carried out by a specialist consultancy, however with Chelgate that value is clear, measurable and has proved vital to gaining consent.” David Banfield, Planning Director, Redrow Homes