The Staffordshire Moorlands Parish Assembly met to discuss the implications of the updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the revised Local Plan for the towns and parishes in the district. Councillors also received an update on devolution and local government reorganisation, and heard a presentation on the Staffordshire Parish Councils' Association Health and Wellbeing Project. Representatives shared updates from their respective parishes, including upcoming events and successful funding applications.

National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) Update

The assembly received a presentation on the revised NPPF, published on 12 December 2024, and its implications for the district. The main changes from the previous version of the NPPF include:

• Housing Supply: Reintroduction of mandatory minimum housing targets and a new standard method for calculating housing need.
• Sustainable Development: Amendments and strengthening of the presumption in favour of sustainable development.
• Green Belt: Introduction of the term 'grey belt', the need for green belt reviews, and amendments to what constitutes inappropriate development in the green belt¹.
• Economy: Additional emphasis on modern economic development, such as labs, data centres, and development supporting the digital economy and decarbonisation.
• Climate Change: A specific reference to the aim to transition to net zero by 2050.
• Development Plan Making: Encouraging councils to progress their plan making, setting out transitional arrangements, and making available funding for councils to use for plan making.

Implications for Staffordshire Moorlands District Council

The updated NPPF has several specific implications for Staffordshire Moorlands District Council:

• The new Staffordshire Moorlands Local Plan will be produced under the new planning system once the details have been confirmed by the government.
• The council's 5-year housing land supply position is currently 2.95 years.
• When taking decisions on planning applications, the tilted balance in favour of development applies.
• Higher housing figures than the current Local Plan mean more land is needed for housing development.
• A new Green Belt Review is needed to identify any 'grey belt' opportunities which could potentially be suitable for development.
• The council has been awarded £70,000 from the government to assist with the production of the new Green Belt Review.

Updates to Planning Practice Guidance (PPG)

The presentation also covered updates to the Planning Practice Guidance (PPG), including:

• Effective use of land: Substantial weight given to development of suitable brownfield land.
• Green Belt: Key steps for Green Belt Assessments, guidance on 'grey belt', and 'golden rules'.
• Housing and Economic Needs Assessment: Guidance on the housing need / standard method and the local housing need calculation.
• Housing supply and delivery: Guidance on the Housing Delivery Test and 5-year housing land supply.
• Natural Environment: Guidance on furthering biodiversity, Local Nature Recovery Strategies², and the natural environment.
• Viability: Guidance on costs included in viability assessments and Green Belt 'Golden Rules'.

New Standard Method for Calculating Housing Need

The new standard method for calculating housing need results in a significantly higher annual requirement for Staffordshire Moorlands compared to the 2016 Local Plan requirement and the previous standard method. The presentation included a table comparing the figures:

The presentation included diagrams illustrating the calculation of housing need using the previous and new standard methods, as well as a breakdown of median house prices, median workplace earnings, and affordability ratios.

Green Belt and Grey Belt

The presentation included a detailed discussion of the Green Belt, its purposes, and the concept of 'grey belt'. According to the NPPF definition, 'grey belt' is defined as land in the Green Belt comprising previously developed land and/or any other land that, in either case, does not strongly contribute to any of purposes (a), (b), or (d) in paragraph 143. The purposes (a), (b), and (d) in paragraph 143 of the NPPF are:

• To check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas
• To prevent neighbouring towns from merging into one another
• To preserve the setting and character of historic towns

The presentation outlined the criteria for development of homes, commercial and other development in the Green Belt, including the utilisation of grey belt land, demonstrable unmet need, sustainable location, and meeting the 'Golden Rules' requirements. It also addressed sustainability and accessibility considerations, including proximity to services such as primary schools, secondary schools, and town centres.

The presentation included visual examples and diagrams to illustrate the concepts of checking sprawl, preventing the merging of towns, and preserving the historic setting of towns.

Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation Update

The Leader of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council (SMDC), Councillor Mike Gledhill, provided an update on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). The update covered:

• The government's case for LGR
• Criteria for Unitary Government
• The timeline for LGR in Two-tier Areas
• Indicative Timescales for Staffordshire
• Interim Plan Feedback
• Preferred Options for Staffordshire Local Authorities
• SMDC Shortlisted Options
• Next Steps
• Locality Focus/ Engagement
• Parish Council Clusters

The Assembly was informed that the Devolution & LGR Sub-Committee had met regularly to consider options for LGR in Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent and had agreed on a shortlist of four options for the council to undertake a detailed appraisal. The council was required to submit a proposal for a single tier of local government by 28 November 2025.

Councillor Gledhill noted that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and himself would attend Parish Cluster Meetings to outline SMDC's preferred option and discuss the impact on localities of the unitary local government structure.

Staffordshire Parish Councils' Association Health and Wellbeing Project

The assembly received a presentation on the Staffordshire Parish Councils' Association (SPCA) Health and Wellbeing Project. The minutes of the previous meeting on 26 June 2025 do not contain any information about the content of this presentation.

Parish Updates

Parish representatives notified the Assembly of upcoming events in their areas. These included the Biddulph Old Hall Book Festival and Flint Garretaw Music at the Mill, which raises funds for the Flint Mill Industrial Heritage Trust. Other events mentioned were a Classic Car Show in Cheadle, a Charity Road Race, the Ipstones Show, a Centenary Celebration for the Nicholson War Memorial in Leek, a Circus Fun Day, a Country and Western event, and a Family Fun Day hosted by Action West End.

The Caverswall Historical Society had benefitted from UKSPF³ funding.