Huge response to consultation on Local Plan

Three Rivers District Council received more than 20,000 individual comments in response to the draft Local Plan. This huge number will take longer to process than originally expected, so the next stage of consultation is now likely in November / December 2022.  After that the proposed Plan goes to an independent Examiner, before formal adoption as our Local Plan.
 
We’re pleased to see that TRDC Leader Cllr Sarah Nelmes says they are committed to protecting as much of Three Rivers’ Green Belt as possible.  Cllr Nelmes has written to the Housing Minister “to insist that the target for house numbers be reduced”, and will keep pushing for that to happen.
 
On the other hand we’re very disappointed that TRDC still says that the number of homes required over the plan period is set by the government’s standard calculation.  We believe that conflicts with the latest ministerial and departmental policy announcements, which say that the standard calculation is a starting point, which can be adjusted to take account of land availability issues such as Green Belt.  We’ll continue to press this point vigorously with TRDC at every opportunity.