South East Plan sets out to deliver 654,000 new homes to tackle housing shortage

The Government has published the South East Plan which sets out the planning framework for the delivery of the new homes, jobs and infrastructure the South East needs until 2026. It replaces the Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9) which was issued in 2001.

The Plan sets a target of 654,000 new homes to meet the region's housing shortage. The Plan provides that 35 per cent of the new housing provision must be affordable and 60 per cent should be built on Brownfield land. Pressure for housing and development in the South East is more intense than in any other region and many would-be home owners are currently priced out of the market.

The Plan focuses growth in the South East's regional hubs, including five strategic development areas in an arc from South Hampshire through Oxford to Milton Keynes.

Concerns have been raised regarding the implications of these proposals for the countryside. Whilst the Government say the plan will not alter the broad extent of the green belt in the region, the Plan does set out the need for selective reviews of the green belt in north-east Guildford and in the Oxford green belt south of the city. There are also doubts about whether these targets can be achieved in light of the current economic situation.

For further information on the above issues, please contact Gemma Harris at gemmaharris@hewitsons.com or on 01223 461155.