<b></b>A legal challenge by a group of housebuilders against Oxford council&amp;’s use of supplementary planning guidance to increase the amount of social housing required on new developments has been quashed by the High Court.<br>The decision effectively gives the green light to councils to increase social housing requirements through guidance, as Oxford council has from 20% to 30%. <p></p><p>Defeated industry representatives, including HBF, Bellway Homes and JA Pye, are appealing against the decision.</p><p>The case was based on the argument that the council had changed its policy of seeking a &amp;“minimum of 20% affordable housing&amp;” to &amp;“generally requiring 30% affordable housing&amp;”. Such a change, it was argued, should be taken through the statutory process of a local plan review.</p><p>But the judge concluded that there must be a mechanism for allowing councils to publish and consult on emerging policy prior to adoption in a local plan. He drew on PPG1 which indicates how the weight to be given to emerging policy increases as successive stages of the plan process are reached. </p><p>It is not, concluded the judge, a matter for the law courts to determine the weight to be given to emerging policy but a function of the appeal procedure under the Town …