Government could demand 3,000 new homes are built across Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough and East Northants EVERY year

A new proposed formula could insist the new homes quota for the area increases by almost three quarters on current levels
Wellingborough council has written a strongly worded letter to the Government objecting to the new housing formula.Wellingborough council has written a strongly worded letter to the Government objecting to the new housing formula.
Wellingborough council has written a strongly worded letter to the Government objecting to the new housing formula.

More than 3,000 new homes would have to be built across Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough and East Northants each year if the Government’s new house build proposals go through.

In what could be the biggest mass build scheme in the area for generations, a new formula for determining how many new houses are built in each borough would see the targets across north Northamptonshire collectively increase by almost three quarters from the current requirement of 1,750 per year to 3,008.

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The move, which is part of the Government’s controversial new planning system white paper, would see north Northamptonshire have the highest level of required growth of anywhere in the Oxford, Milton Keynes to Cambridge Corridor, which Northamptonshire forms a part of.

The new formula is based on the house prices and average earnings, with the bigger the gap between house cost and household income, the more homes would have to be built in that area.

Analysis by consultancy Lichfields, which has applied the new formula to each local authority area in England, has revealed the increased requirement on homes within the north of the county.

Wellingborough’s annual homes build requirement would increase from 350 to 535 each year. Corby’s would shoot up from 460 to 799, Kettering’s would jump from 520 to 853 and East Northamptonshire would have to take on the biggest jump from 420 to 821.

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However current housebuild targets in each of the areas, are only just being met with many of the large sustainable developments earmarked for the area over the past two decades failing to deliver on time largely due to developer issues. The highest amount delivered in one year in north Northamptonshire was 2,100 at the height of the market.

The white paper which was launched last month (August) has been met with criticism from local authorities right across the country as its measures also include identifying land as growth areas, which would make refusing build more difficult for local areas, and is also planning to scrap the Section 106 requirement on developers and instead introduce a national levy.

Kettering Council has already voiced its concerns and at last night’s planning policy meeting (September 28) Wellingborough councillors were also vocal about the impact the huge planning shake up could have on local communities.

Cllr Paul Bell said: “What this proposes is to take councils out of planning. We will end up with elected mayors having powers, like they do in America. If people want to raise a matter they will have to go to their MP. Local people must decide what is best for Wellingborough. The problem is not the local authorities, it is the developers who are sitting on the land.”

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Currently planning matters are decided by local authorities. A panel of chosen councillors will decide on plans for large schemes such as housing and infrastructure, although the secretary of state for local government can step in and over-ride the decision if they consider the local decision to have been wrong.

The planning committee last night decided to respond to the Government consultation with an objection letter drafted by officers that will be signed by the leader and opposition leader of the council along with the chair and vice chair of the planning committee.

A strongly worded report summarising the letter says: “We consider that, as proposed, the methodology places the blame for an areas affordability ratio entirely on the basis of constrained housing supply which we feel is overly simplistic and is not backed up by any published evidence. This is clearly not the experience in north Northamptonshire, where high levels of housing delivery have been achieved, substantial amounts of housing land are committed in local plans and planning permissions, but affordability based on local incomes has worsened.

“We have suggested therefore that the most effective way of improving affordability in this area would be to try and increase average household incomes in the borough which is why the North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy and the plan for Wellingborough seek to diversify the economy and deliver higher value jobs in the area.”

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A report by the area’s joint planning committee earlier this month said: “It is inconceivable it (new house building) could be accelerated to an average of 3,009 per annum unless the local economy is transformed and there is a firm commitment by Government and other providers to make substantial and sustained investment in infrastructure and services.”

The planning unit last year said there was a £307m infrastructure deficit in north Northamptonshire.