DETAILS on the direction of Reading’s future housing schemes will be delayed until later in the year as a result of changes in government policy.
The Local Plan determines where homes can built in Reading and rules around affordable housing and sustainability measures which developers should comply with.
The previous plan was approved in November 2019, and needs a partial update. A public consultation was held in December and January, and included sites suggested by landowners.
It also included proposals to replace the existing Reading Central Library and the former Southcote library sites with apartments, and homes in part of the car park of Tesco Extra Oxford Road store.
Revisions to the Local Plan partial update accounting for the first consultation were meant to go back to public consultation between July and September, but government planning law changes in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) were published just before Christmas.
The council’s Labour administration is delaying the new consultation until November, so that changes to the NPPF can be accounted for.
Cllr Micky Leng (Labour, Whitley), lead councillor for planning, said: “Given the ever-changing picture in terms of national planning policy guidance, it would be absurd for the council to rush to meet a self-imposed deadline on this partial update.
“Reading’s Local Plan will play a hugely significant role in helping the Council, and its residents, to achieve their objectives in the coming years, whether in relation to house building, affordable homes, transport infrastructure and sustainable development.
“It is in that context, and against the backdrop of changes in national guidance and noises coming from Ministers, that we will now pause to take stock before presenting a full draft of the partial update in November for public consultation, which has fully considered all implications.”
He continued: “Reading Council is already well-ahead of other local councils, in that it is undertaking a review of its Local Plan earlier than required by law and, unlike many local authorities, it still has an up-to-date plan in place.
“Very good progress has already been made on the update and, even accounting for this small delay, the Council expects to adopt its updated plan during 2025.”
Cllr Leng said implementation of the plan would be subject to the government planning inspectorate approving it after submission.
The change to the Local Plan process will be discussed by the council’s strategic environment, planning and transport committee in June.
