Breckland councillors feel ‘sorry’ for communities affected by increased house building targets
Councillors say they feel “sorry” for rural communities where hundreds of new homes could be built under new targets.
Breckland Council will have to deliver more than 900 homes a year in light of the Government’s revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
The target is an uplift of 44% and will put huge pressure on the authority to give the green light to more housing developments across the district, which covers towns such as Swaffham.
Councillors described the decision as “upsetting” and said they fear for the future of rural towns and villages at a meeting last week.
Previously, these targets were advisory rather than mandatory, allowing councils to allocate less land to future developments if local officials could argue it would damage the character of an area.
Breckland Council has updated its Local Development Scheme (LDS) - a five-year project plan mandated by the Government - to reflect the changes.
The new target for the district is 903 homes per year, up from 625 previously.
Alison Webb, a councillor for Dereham, said at the meeting: “I’m absolutely appalled about what has happened here.
“I don’t think any of our communities realise what this means. We don’t have a choice, we have to meet these targets.
“Those lovely areas with outstanding fields are going to be developed.”
Paul Plummer, a councillor for Mattishall, added: “We’re in a rural area with people who have lived there all their lives and we’re trying to put houses in places where they aren’t wanted.
“It upsets me that we are having to do these things. We’re forcing this onto rural villages.”
Councillors stressed they had no control over the increased targets and had to update the LDS in line with Government policy.
The updated national NPPF commits to a “brownfield first” strategy, with disused sites that have already been developed in the past prioritised for new building.
However, the Prime Minister said providing homes for people must be the “top priority” over nature and the environment.
