Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 12 December 2024, Official Report, HCWS308, whether local authorities with existing Local Plans produced under the previous standard method will now be required to update their Local Plans (a) as a consequence of the new housing need requirements and (b) in order to deliver the extra year’s worth of homes in their five year housing pipeline.

Having an effective up-to-date plan in place is essential to planning for, and meeting, development needs.

Whether a local authority is required to update their Local Plan as a consequence of the new housing need requirement will depend on the stage a draft plan has reached. This is set out in Annex 1 of the NPPF, particularly paragraphs 234-237.

Authorities that do not have an emerging plan at an advanced stage will need to use the revised NPPF and new housing requirement when preparing their next plan.

The 5-year housing land supply policy is a crucial mechanism in the planning system that ensures local authorities maintain a pipeline of sites for housing. The requirement introduced in para 78 c) in the NPPF means some LPAs will have to add a 20% buffer to their five-year housing land supply requirement. It does not necessitate LPAs producing a plan update.