BCP set to begin work on new Local Plan after previous draft thrown out by planning inspectors

BCP Council is set to begin work on a new Local Plan after its previous one was thrown out by planning inspectors.

The council were told to start again after it was found they had failed to “constructively and actively” engage with Dorset and New Forest District councils – including asking both of them just two weeks before submitting the plan whether they had any land where BCP could build 16,000 homes.

The government has told councils across the UK they will need to up their housing targets to meet the needs of future generations.

But planning inspectorate officers Helen Hockenhull and Thomas Hatfield found that BCP Council had failed in its “duty to cooperate” during the process to draw up the Local Plan.

It needs to build on NFDC and Dorset Council-controlled land to meet its housing targets, but the two inspectors deemed that BCP had failed to fully discuss whether this would be feasible with either council.

They found that at one stage BCP said it had a shortfall of 12,000 homes it needed to provide and asked Dorset Council whether this could be met by building on sites in its area.

According to the inspectors’ report: “Due to the lack of meeting notes, it is unclear what Dorset’s response to this was, except for a recognition that the area of search was remote and included an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), now National Landscape.”

They went on: “After March 2022, we have no evidence of discussions about strategic housing matters until November 2022, a gap of around eight months.

“Unmet housing needs were discussed at this meeting, but we have no detail of the discussions as no notes have been made available. We understand that the unmet need figure was calculated at that time to be around 16,000 homes.”

A similar position was found with NFDC which again had been approached by BCP about the shortfall and the possibility of land being available for development but no clear outcome was recorded.

The inspectors revealed that in June 2024 BCP sent a letter to Dorset Council and NFDC formally asking if the respective authorities could meet any of BCP’s unmet need.

As the inspectors noted: “This was two weeks before the submission of the plan for examination. Both councils’ responses were received after 27th June 2024, the plan submission date. “

The local plan sets out detailed planning policies which will guide decision making on future developments in the BCP area including Christchurch.

It is expected BCP councillors will vote tomorrow (Tuesday) to withdraw the existing draft Local Plan which was lodged with the planning inspectors last June.

Keir Starmer’s government issued new national planning rules in December which told councils they had to provide a new amount of housing stock – even if it meant building on greenbelt if that was the only way to deliver affordable homes.

Cllr Millie Earl, leader of BCP Council, spoke of her “disappointment” the draft plan had to be withdrawn but added: “I am confident that the preparation that we have already undertaken remains highly relevant and can be used to inform our new Local Plan.

“We support the ambition to tackle the housing crisis by increasing the availability of affordable, well-made housing however the government’s new mandatory housing targets present significant challenges for our area.

“It is important that we balance our future development priorities whilst protecting the beautiful area that we live in and the precious natural environment we are so lucky to have.

“We will be making it clear to the government that there is a need for national investment in our infrastructure to support their targets.

“A Local Plan is an opportunity for people to shape where they live and to tell the Planning Inspectorate what they think is acceptable in their areas which is all the more important considering the new requirements from government on housing delivery.”

The new local plan will be ready for submission in March 2028, BCP expects, after public consultation in 2026 and 2027.