AN interim housing target has been adopted by councillors in the wake of a decision in December to commission an independent review of Green Belt boundaries and potential housing locations.

The district council’s cabinet has provisionally adopted the house-building target of 360 homes a year which was incorporated in the now-defunct East of England Plan.

But that is only a temporary measure until the review is completed and a housing figure is agreed for the St Albans planning blueprint, the draft Strategic Local Plan (SLP).

Councillor Teresa Heritage, the council’s portfolio holder for planning and conservation, explained: “With the revocation of the East of England Plan there is a vacuum in local planning development policy as there is no definitive housing target.

“It is a requirement of the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework that information on the land supply position for housing is provided to guide decision making.

“Cabinet therefore agreed that the East of England Plan target of 360 per year is the most appropriate to use for housing land supply purposes. This target is based on evidence, has been consulted on, sustainability appraised, justified and publically examined.”

At the meeting, cabinet also agreed to consult with adjoining councils on the possibility of jointly undertaking Green Belt and housing needs studies.