Recent changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) will be an “important consideration” for future planning applications, according to Wiltshire Council.

The NPPF was updated at the end of 2023 and included a relaxation of the need for local authorities to provide a rolling five-year housing land supply.

These changes mean that Wiltshire Council must demonstrate a minimum of a four-year supply for new housing, which is a reduction from the previous minimum five-year supply.

This will affect the way in which councillors consider new planning applications across the county.

Councillor Nick Botterill, Cabinet Member for Development Management and Strategic Planning said: “In our development plan, the Wiltshire Core Strategy, we are already able to show a four year supply, which means that the housing delivery policies it contains are no longer out-of-date and so must be given full weight in planning application decisions.

“This will be an important consideration for all windfall planning applications for housing development that do not accord with the housing delivery policies of the Core Strategy. 

“The council is legally required to have regard to any changes in circumstances before issuing any planning permission. 

“This includes any changes between the time the Council may have already resolved to approve a planning and the actual issuing of the planning permission. 

“The updated NPPF is a changed material consideration. 

“For a number of planning applications, the updated NPPF has led to the council no longer supporting the proposals, and in three cases reversing its original resolutions.”

The reversals in question affected three controversial applications that councillors had previously voted to approve.

These applications concerned proposals for housing developments in Warminster, Westbury and Melksham.

Councillor Botterill concluded: “In view our legal duty, the risk of costs associated with changing position is very small. 

“There would be a far greater risk of incurring costs had the council not considered the changed material consideration. 

“The council will continue to maintain its housing supply delivery requirements by approving planning applications that are in accordance with the Wiltshire Core Strategy policies and land allocations, and in the future in accordance with the new development plan that will eventually replace the Core Strategy, this in the context of a plan-led planning system.”