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For years, councils have been told that Local Plans are the foundations of a fair and effective planning system. I wholeheartedly agree.A good Local Plan gives communities certainty.But recent government interventions have created a level of uncertainty that is making it increasingly difficult for us to deliver those plans with confidence.A succession of policy changes, a new Local Plan system, evolving devolution proposals and reorganisation have all combined to create a moving target for local authorities. The result is a planning framework that feels increasingly unstable and, in some cases, at risk of becoming obsolete before plans are even adopted.We are doing everything we can to deliver sustainable growth, but we desperately need a planning system that supports us, not one that changes tack and throws our work off course.As local councils, we have an absolute responsibility to spend taxpayers' money wisely. Continuing to invest time and resources in plans based on geography we know will soon be obsolete raises huge concerns about value for money.The Government set a deadline to submit our Local Plan by the end of December, but also set new rules for making Local Plans and intends to change national planning policy through an updated National Planning Policy Framework in the summer, just months before the deadline.It is because of this that East Hampshire DC made the decision not to submit our Local Plan to meet this imposed deadline.This is not about resisting growth. Our council remains committed to delivering the homes, jobs and infrastructure our communities need. Nor is it about stepping away from plan-making. Local Plans remain essential.It is about ensuring that the plans we produce are relevant, deliverable and capable of withstanding the test of time.Since we made this decision, we have seen we are not alone in grappling with the Government's contradictions. Other councils are reaching the same conclusions and adopting the same approach.As more councils come to the same conclusion, I think this should send a very clear message to decision-makers. I just hope they listen.We are doing everything we can to deliver sustainable growth, but we desperately need a planning system that supports us, not one that changes tack and throws our work off course.Dawn Adey is chief executive of East Hampshire DC

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PLANNING

Planning in uncertain times

By Dawn Adey | 18 August 2026

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