The UK government has halted Three Rivers District Council’s local plan after ruling that it fails to provide enough new homes, placing the authority’s long-term development blueprint on hold while ministers consider whether to force changes.
In a formal intervention, the minister for housing and planning, Matthew Pennycook, told Three Rivers District Council that its proposed plan contains a shortfall of more than 5,000 homes, leaving it significantly below required housing levels up to 2041. The council has been ordered not to progress the plan any further until the government decides whether it will direct revisions.
Local plans are a legal requirement for councils in England, setting out where housing, infrastructure and employment development should take place and forming the basis for decisions on planning applications. Plans must also be regularly updated to reflect changing housing needs and national policy.
Ministerial intervention over housing numbers
In a letter to the council, Pennycook said the draft plan provides for only 56% of the homes Three Rivers is expected to deliver over the plan period. He warned that he had “little confidence” the document would be found sound or legally compliant if it were to proceed to examination.
The minister has paused the process and given the council two weeks to submit evidence justifying its housing numbers. Once that material is reviewed, he will decide whether to issue a formal direction requiring the authority to increase the scale of development in the plan.
The council has confirmed it will comply with the request and submit supporting evidence within the deadline.
Council leaders respond to government move
Stephen Giles-Medhurst, leader of the Liberal Democrat minority administration at Three Rivers, said he was “disappointed” by the government’s intervention at this stage of the process. However, he signalled a willingness to engage constructively with ministers.
He said the council hoped the minister would consider the fact that around 76% of the district is designated green belt, significantly limiting the land available for development. Giles-Medhurst added that the authority was “open to discussion and cooperation” and would provide all requested evidence.
He acknowledged that the government could ultimately insist on a housing target of more than 12,000 new homes, compared with the 7,500 currently proposed in the draft local plan.
Political divisions at local level
Opposition councillors were sharply critical of the council leadership’s handling of the housing evidence. Oliver Cooper, leader of the Conservative group, said the authority had provided only “one line” of evidence to justify ruling out large developments.
“Providing one line provides no defence of our green belt whatsoever,” he said, accusing the administration of assuming it “knew better” without adequately backing its position.
Rue Grewal, leader of the Independent group, highlighted the frustration felt by residents who had engaged extensively with the planning process. She said she understood “how much time and effort residents have put into engaging with the process and why this letter has caused such frustration and concern”.
Chris Mitchell, representing the Green group, said he was “very disappointed” by the government’s decision, arguing that officers and councillors had invested significant work in producing what he described as a “very balanced local plan”.
Wider housing policy background
The intervention comes as the government intensifies pressure on councils across England to meet housing targets amid a national shortage of homes. Ministers have repeatedly warned that local plans which underdeliver on housing will face scrutiny and, if necessary, direct intervention.
Hertfordshire authorities in particular face acute tensions between meeting housing need and protecting green belt land, a challenge mirrored in many parts of the south-east. Recent changes to national planning policy have strengthened the government’s hand in stepping in where councils are judged to be falling short.
For Three Rivers, the next step will be crucial. The evidence submitted to ministers over the coming fortnight will determine whether the plan can proceed largely unchanged or whether the council will be compelled to allocate significantly more land for housing development, reshaping the district’s future growth strategy.