On the new housing methodology

The government is proposing changes to the method of calculating the number of houses which local authorities must plan for. Liberal Democrat Councillor Ryan Bate says:

It is right that the government will now insist on using the latest data, rather than numbers based on 2014. A rough and ready calculation suggests that Warrington would need to plan for around 14,250 houses, or 712 per year. This is a significant reduction compared to Warrington's current plans and would make a massive difference to protecting our green spaces and ensuring we can deliver the right infrastructure.

What isn't clear is whether Warrington will need to adopt this new methodology. Nor is it clear whether Warrington will continue with their current Local Plan process given the drastic changes proposed by the government. We must have a Local Plan, but it must be one that offers sustainable development and carries public support. A lower, more manageable level of growth would achieve this and that is what I will continue to campaign for, both locally and nationally.

Ryan Bate is the Warrington Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Environment & Planning and a Borough Councillor for Grappenhall. He was the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Warrington South at the 2019 General Election.