Rutland County Council is to 'strongly' government housing targets, which currently propose 300 new homes are built in the county every year.

The move comes as a meeting of the 'full council' this week, discussed what the county council would tell the government about its planned 'significant' changes to national planning policies.

As Nub News reported last month, under a planned 'algorithm', the government is set to order 307 homes be built in the county every year as it removes local discretion over housing targets for a figure mandated by central government.

All the councillors at the Monday meeting voted to send a response which takes issue with the government's new Planning White Paper-"Planning for the Future" -which is intended to streamline and modernise the current national planning process.

The White Paper was launched in August 2020 and all local authorities have until 29 October 2020 to provide their feedback as part of a wide-ranging consultation.

The Paper proposes several key reforms, including:

· Simplifying local plans and creating three different categories of land to be identified for future Growth, Renewal, or Protect

· Providing identified Growth areas with outline planning approval. These areas would be designated for substantial development, such as new settlements or urban extensions

· Proposing that Renewal areas would also be considered favourably for development, but within a specified criterion

Ensuring Protect areas – green belt, conservation areas and areas of outstanding beauty - remain untouched

After the meeting, Coun Gordon Brown, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Planning, thanked councillors for their contributions to a detailed discussion on the proposals.

He said: "We agree that the current national planning regime in England is too complex and needs reform. As it stands, Plans take too long to prepare, assessments of housing need and environmental impacts have become overly complicated and more is needed to improve the design quality of new developments.

"In its current form, the White Paper is short on detail and there is little to explain how many of the ideas it contains will be taken forward. This was picked up by many Councillors as part of last night's discussion.

"Elected Members were also keen to emphasise the need for more affordable housing, as well as appropriate engagement with residents – which appears to be diminished by the government's proposals – and the important role that planning has to play in protecting the environment."

Coun Brown added: "Monday's debate was extremely constructive and having the unanimous backing of Councillors will mean we're able to provide the strongest possible response to the Government's consultation.

"In addition, we will also be objecting strongly to the government's new methodology for calculating housing need, which suggests that Rutland should be looking build some 300 new homes per year."

Having been presented at Full Council, the Planning White Paper will be discussed by the Council's Growth, Infrastructure and Resources Scrutiny Committee on Thursday 22 October. Cabinet will then be asked to consider the Council's formal response to the White Paper Consultation on Tuesday 27 October.

The agenda and reports for Monday's Full Council meeting can be viewed online at: www.rutland.gov.uk/meetings. Minutes from the meeting will be published within seven days of the meeting date.