West Northamptonshire Council formally challenges Government over Local Plan intervention as row escalates
West Northamptonshire Council has formally challenged the Government’s intervention in its Local Plan, warning that pressing ahead with the existing draft could lead to further delays and risks.
The Reform UK-led authority wrote to Labour’s housing and planning minister Matthew Pennycook on Monday, September 28, setting out why it believes ministerial intervention is unnecessary and local decision-making should be respected.
The response comes after the Government used statutory powers to direct WNC to continue with its existing draft Local Plan, overturning a decision by councillors to restart the process.
The council has been ordered to launch a six-week consultation on the existing plan by October 5 and submit it by December 31.
However, WNC argues that progressing the current draft could create greater risks and delays if concerns raised during previous consultations are upheld during the examination process.
It says further work is needed on alternative growth options and the capacity of the local electricity grid before decisions are made about future development.
Councillor Mark Arnull, leader of WNC, said: “We have responded robustly and constructively to the Government's request, setting out why we believe intervention is not necessary and why local decision-making should be respected.
“Members took the decision to pause the current draft Local Plan because they were not satisfied that important questions around infrastructure, growth and alternative options had been fully resolved.
“These are matters that must be addressed if we are to deliver a plan that is genuinely sound, deliverable and in the long-term interests of our residents.”
The intervention followed a Planning Policy Committee vote on September 14 to abandon years of work and restart the plan under updated national planning rules.
The decision sparked criticism from Labour opposition leader Councillor Sally Keeble, who defended the Government’s intervention and described the council’s decision as “reckless”.
She argued that restarting the process would cost more than £1 million and accused Reform councillors of disregarding the legal, practical and financial consequences.
The existing plan had already undergone four rounds of consultation, with more than 6,000 responses received during the latest exercise.
Councillor Arnull previously accused Labour of “political hypocrisy” for overriding a locally elected council.
The Government will now consider WNC’s representations before deciding its next steps.