After a 12-month hiatus, the Inspectors’ thoughts on the Stroud Local Plan have been published, and it’s a devastating blow for the Council.

The Inspectors have recommended that the Plan be withdrawn because of fundamental issues relating to the funding and subsequent delivery of infrastructure to serve key strategic sites in the plan.

The Plan’s failure is a huge blow to the Council and the Officers who drafted it. No Plan is perfect, and I had a number of concerns about the strategy and allocations in the Plan and made those clear at the EiP. Looking at it from a personal level, I do have sympathy with those involved.

So, what does this mean for housebuilding?

Like many Gloucestershire LPAs, Stroud has seen an increase in its housing target through the Standard Method. Under the old figure, its annual target was 620 dpa, and this has been revised upwards to 820 dpa. This is a challenge, especially given that, at the Council’s own admission, it can only demonstrate a 3.24-year housing land supply against the lower figure. Given the failure of the plan, the Council no longer has a plan in place to resolve this undersupply.

This raises the inevitable question of “speculative development” coming forward, and it’s a simple, obvious fact that sites will be coming forward to meet its housing land supply requirements. While some will deride this, it has to be remembered that these sites will provide homes for all, including much-needed affordable housing. They will also create jobs and support local services and facilities. Housebuilding is a good thing.

Is there an opportunity for the SME Housebuilding Sector?

Now is the time to look seriously at smaller sites that can come forward and be delivered within five years. In looking at sites to come forward, I cannot stress enough that it’s a question of doing the basics right, making sure that the site is in a sensible location, deliverable, and devoid of genuine constraints. A lack of a five-year supply does not give succour those sites that are fundamentally flawed.

Stroud (possibly with a sense of hubris) proposed a plan that was heavily reliant on large strategic allocations to deliver housing in the District to the detriment of the SME sector. These allocations relied on upgrading Junctions 12 and 14 of the M5. Technical work proved they could be delivered. However, when asked by the Inspectors to “show me the money”, showing that there was funding for their delivery,  there was no money (I’ll leave you to think of other analogies about this involving post-it notes and magical trees). The lesson here is that if you are going to go big, make sure you have the funding in place. The money required was at least £200 million.

A full copy of the Stroud District Local Plan Review Letter is available here.

How Can We Help?

We are already starting to consider options, so come and talk to us about what you are looking to bring forward.

Nathan McLoughlin – Managing Director

T: 01242895008

E: nathan.mcloughlin@mplanning.co.uk

Image Source: Stroud District Local Plan Review 2025

 

About us

We are McLoughlin Planning, and our team has a simple objective: to get results for our clients by providing high quality planning consultancy.

Our reputation for integrity, innovation and intelligence means we are a growing business, thriving on personal recommendations from our loyal clients and trusted industry colleagues. Our team of chartered town planning consultants deal with a host of interesting planning projects from across southern England and Wales – from strategic promotions and commercial premises to private developments and rural projects.

We are a friendly and approachable team who care passionately about the built environment, always striving to get the best outcome for our clients and the community. Find out more about us here.

McLoughlin Planning has successfully secured Technical Details Consent (TDC) to construct 2 x 4-bed dwellings in the village of Driffield, a non-principal settlement near Cirencester. This is following the successful grant of Permission in Principle (PiP) at Cotswold District Council’s Planning Committee.

What is Permission in Principle (PiP)?

Permission in Principle is a planning consent route which was introduced in 2018.  It is an alternative way of obtaining planning permission for housing-led development and it separates the consideration of matters of principle for proposed development (location, uses and amount of development), from the technical detail of the of the development (everything else, including planning conditions, s.106 and BNG).

The PiP stage acts like a watered-down outline planning application, and it can prove a useful tool if you want to get a clearer idea of whether development on site may be acceptable in principle, without the need for submitting costly reports from the outset.

The Technical Details Consent is more akin to a full planning application and as such, requires the submission of detailed reports, including full details of layout, scale, landscaping, appearance, and access.

Technical Details Consent (TDC) and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)

The most notable aspect of this TDC approval is that off-site Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) credits needed to be sourced from a third-party organisation. This is because the site was not large enough to achieve the statutory 10% BNG uplift within the site boundary. Once a quote for off-site BNG credits was obtained, this was enough for the Council to grant planning permission, subject to an informative stating that development cannot commence until a BNG Plan has been submitted to and approved by the Council.

This will now be commonplace for small-scale housebuilders and developers as the sites they typically develop will not be large enough to construct dwelling(s) and have sufficient residual space to achieve a 10% BNG uplift on site. Therefore, sourcing off-site BNG credits is now becoming an essential part of obtaining planning permission.

How we can help

Are you looking to obtain planning permission for small-scale residential development? Do you need to source off-site BNG credits for your development? If so, then please contact us through either our “Arrange a Call” tab on our contact page or via the email and telephone number provided below.

Joe Seymour – Associate Director

E:  joe.seymour@mplanning.co.uk

T: 01242 895 121

 

Project team

  • K-Ten Consulting (Drainage)
  • All Ecology (Ecology)
  • Wotton Tree Consultancy (Arboriculture)
  • Core Geotechnics Ltd (Geology)
  • Andrew P Jones (Development Consultants)

Image Source: Andrew P Jones Associates

 

About us

We are McLoughlin Planning, and our team has a simple objective: to get results for our clients by providing high quality planning consultancy.

Our reputation for integrity, innovation and intelligence means we are a growing business, thriving on personal recommendations from our loyal clients and trusted industry colleagues. Our team of chartered town planning consultants deal with a host of interesting planning projects from across southern England and Wales – from strategic promotions and commercial premises to private developments and rural projects.

We are a friendly and approachable team who care passionately about the built environment, always striving to get the best outcome for our clients and the community.

We are delighted that following our involvement, planning permission has been secured for the erection of six new apartments in the heart of Cinderford.

Identifying the development potential of brownfield land   

It was an interesting site, located within the development boundary of Cinderford and previously associated with commercial uses.  But it was also an irregular shape, bounded by commercial and residential units, and had a recent planning refusal for a similar scheme on site.

It seemed to be heading in a similar direction again as, prior to our involvement in the project, the applicant had received negative feedback from the planning officer on the latest application.  Fearing a planning refusal and not sure how to most effectively respond to the comments received, we were approached and asked by the applicant to review the case officer’s commentary to date, provide guidance on how best to amend the scheme and to prepare supporting evidence/mitigation measures to help navigate the proposals to a positive outcome.

Key planning considerations for residential development on a brownfield site

 Given the complexities of the space, key planning considerations included:

  • technical requirements (such as parking, and internal room standards);
  • residential amenity considerations;
  • contamination;
  • siting;
  • relationship of the development with neighbouring commercial uses;
  • how the design would respond to local vernacular; and
  • ecological requirements.

We provided the project team with a critical analysis of both the planning policy requirements and the feedback from the officer and weighed this against the proposed development. Our input helped to ensure that the redesign met the technical requirements set out in both local and national policy documents.

Clever design solutions and a strategic planning approach can unlock the development potential of a challenging plot

It was great to be working on the scheme with Edge Design Workshop.  Their considered revisions to the scheme included: removal of a disused MEB building to unlock more of the site; clever design of the housing units to ensure space standards and amenity space requirements were amply met; suitable parking provision for both existing and future residents; design amends to remove the risk of overlooking.

Alongside our advice to the architect, the applicant also commissioned us to write a planning statement, clearly highlighting the previous concerns from the case officer and how these have been addressed in the revised proposal.

The Council remained co-operative throughout the process and ensured a fair assessment of the Site and the revisions undertaken. The result was a positive conclusion, unlocking a valuable brownfield site for the delivery of much needed new homes in Cinderford.

We are so pleased with the outcome, and that through our careful analysis of planning policy and context, effective engagement with the project team and the presentation of a clear and considered planning strategy – this dilapidated site will now be regenerated to the benefit of the local area and will bring new, stylish apartments to a central and sustainable location.

How we can help

If you have a brownfield site, are wondering about its development potential and would like a member of our team to review your case and explore whether there is a way forward to secure planning approval for your project, then please contact us through either our “Arrange a Call” tab on our contact page or via the email and telephone number provided below:

Chris Moore – Director

T: 01242895008

E: chris.moore@mplanning.co.uk

 

Image source: Edge Design Workshop (2024)