WITH three of our councils effectively ‘blindsided’ by a Planning Inspector’s ruling about the need for up-to-date information on housing before setting their local plans, they need to react as quickly as possible.

There will be opposing views on whether the decision – that North Warwickshire’s plan on how many houses to build over the next couple of decades was based on an out-of-date assessment from 2008 – is fair or not. Some will argue that of course assessments need to be as current as possible, while others will counter that the process is long and involved and councils have to draw a line in the sand and work from that point.

There’s merit to both views but Cherwell, Vale and West Oxfordshire are now unable to adopt their proposed plans without a new assessment.

With planning policy effectively in limbo there is a fear that developers will be able to force through unacceptable developments. The councils need to expedite their planning processes as quickly as they can. Our communities cannot face a future of living with the consequences of inertia today.