Ministers have issued a formal holding direction that pauses Three Rivers District Council’s attempt to progress its new Local Plan for Three Rivers (which covers Rickmansworth and surrounding settlements). The Ministry published the Minister of State for Housing and Planning’s letter, dated 5 February 2026, directing the council not to take any step in connection with the adoption of the Plan while the Department considers whether to give a further direction under section 21 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. The letter was sent a day before the council was due to begin its Regulation 19 consultation, scheduled for 6 February.
The holding direction prevents the council from progressing or adopting the Regulation 19 Local Plan while Ministers review its fitness for examination. That review is focused on whether the emerging plan meets national policy (including tests on Green Belt release and housing need). The central dispute is over housing numbers: the government’s standard-method calculation identifies a local housing need of 832 dwellings a year — 12,480 homes for the 2026–2041 plan period — while the council has consistently proposed a substantially lower level of growth in its consultations and draft documents. Earlier consultations favoured a ‘lower housing growth’ option (around 4,850 homes); the Regulation 19 material published in January 2026 contains plan figures in the several-thousand range (the draft documents refer at different points to plan provisions in the mid-thousands, including references to c.6,200 dwellings and to targeted Green Belt releases of over 4,200 dwellings).”
The minister’s letter (5 February) invoked powers under section 21A of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (inserted by the Housing and Planning Act 2016) to direct the council not to progress adoption steps while the Department considers whether to issue a formal direction under section 21. That holding direction will remain in force until it is withdrawn or replaced by a different direction. The pause creates uncertainty around the timing of plan adoption and for developers and residents; officials have warned the delay may leave a more uncertain decision‑making environment for planning applications in the area while the national review is carried out.
The intervention touches on sites around Rickmansworth and Batchworth that have been the focus of earlier consultations and local campaigns. Local bodies such as the Rickmansworth & District Residents’ Association have backed the council’s emphasis on protecting Green Belt land and have warned that a prolonged pause could change how planning appeals and applications play out. Cllr Stephen Giles‑Medhurst (Leader, Three Rivers District Council) has criticised the government’s housing targets as unrealistic and has said the pressure to meet higher numbers risks altering the character of local towns such as Rickmansworth.
The council has been asked to provide the full Regulation 19 documentation to Ministers by 19 February 2026 to help the Department decide whether to withdraw the holding direction or to take further action.
