The Court of Appeal has granted permission for the first Neighbourhood Plan case to be heard by it on appeal. The appeal is brought by DLA Delivery Limited, who applied for planning permission for 63 houses on the edge of the village of Newick, East Sussex. DLA promoted its site as part of both the Local Plan, and the Neighbourhood Plan process, which have been running concurrently. Although DLA’s land was identified as a suitable reserve housing site in the emerging Local Plan, the Neighbourhood Plan did not allocate it.
Accordance with what?
While the Local Plan is still emerging, the Neighbourhood Plan has been progressed. DLA sought permission to judicially review the local planning authority’s decision to hold a referendum on the draft Neighbourhood Plan (which has subsequently been formally made, becoming part of the local development plan). In addition to environmental grounds, DLA claimed that the Neighbourhood Plan was not in conformity with the appropriate strategic policies. The Neighbourhood Plan had been prepared in accordance with the policies of the emerging Local Plan. However, as the Local Plan had not yet been adopted, the plan currently in force covered the period to 2011. DLA argued that the Neighbourhood Plan could not be in accordance with the strategic policies, and therefore meet the basic conditions to be made, as the plan it related to was not yet in force.
Court of Appeal prepared to look again
The claim was dismissed in the High Court by Foskett J, but granted permission to appeal on one of eight grounds – the need for the Neighbourhood Plan to be in ‘general’ conformity with strategic policies. Permission to appeal on the other grounds has subsequently been granted by Lord Justice Lindblom in the Court of Appeal.
The case raises interesting points at a time where neighbourhood planning is a political priority, with measures to speed the process included in the Housing and Planning Bill. Meanwhile, Local Plans with their need for a vast evidence base, may lag behind. It remains to be seen how the following issues, addressed in the High Court in Woodcock Holdings, will be dealt with by the Court of Appeal.
- Where Local and Neighbourhood Plans come forward at the same time, should the Neighbourhood Plan look back to the existing plan, or forward to the emerging plan?
- How can a Neighbourhood Plan, in general conformity with an out of date Local Plan, meet the needs of the community going forward?
- Should a Local Plan be able to override a Neighbourhood Plan once it has measured its objectively assessed need, if more homes are needed?
Independence day?
A further point of interest raised by the appeal is the appointment of Neighbourhood Plan Examiners. While Local Plans are examined by inspectors appointed by the Planning Inspectorate, Neighbourhood Plan examiners are appointed by the relevant Neighbourhood Plan steering group. Whilst the claimant emphasised that they made no criticism of the examiner personally, they did suggest that the appointment of the examiner by the parish council gave rise to an appearance of bias. It will be interesting to see what the Court of Appeal make of this “apparent bias” in the appointment of examiners – should it be another job for the Planning Inspectorate?
