On 5th February, a letter from Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook has been sent to the Leader of Three Rivers District Council Stephen Medhurst ahead of the Regulation 19 consultation on the new local plan.
The Minister raises serious concerns that the council’s emerging plan proposes to meet only 56% of its assessed housing need, leaving a shortfall of more than 5,000 homes, and that there is little public justification for this. He warns that the plan is therefore at high risk of being found unsound or legally non-compliant at examination.
Because of these concerns, the Minister is using powers under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 to issue a “holding direction,” preventing the council from taking any steps toward adopting the plan while the government considers whether further intervention is necessary.
He requests the full set of documents and evidence intended for the Regulation 19 consultation by 19 February 2026, and encourages the council to work constructively with government officials going forward.
Read Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook full letter here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/three-rivers-district-council-local-plan-holding-direction-letter/three-rivers-district-council-local-plan-holding-direction-letter
Read Independent District Councillor Rue Grewal’s response here:
https://rickmansworthresidents.org/2026/02/why-ive-written-to-the-minister-and-why-im-not-giving-up/