Planning Reform - 11th September 2011

I have had a lot of identical emails objecting to the Government’s proposals to reform the planning system. They seem to have got completely the wrong end of the stick about the Localism Bill and reforms which are set out in the draft national planning policy framework.

There are three reasons why I am an enthusiast for these reforms. The first is because the whole economy is in desperate need of deregulatory measures to release enterprise and generate economic growth. The current planning system is in serious need of reform: it is excessively complex and has become the preserve of lawyers, town hall officials and pressure groups, rather than empowering local communities; it is unwieldy and complex, making it hard even for experts to put into practice, let alone for communities to understand.  Under the last government the national planning policy grew to more than 1,200 pages of detailed legally binding regulations, making it almost impenetrable to users.

Second, easily the largest single issue in my postbag is the lack of affordable housing in this area and the fact that so many local people have no prospect of being able to afford somewhere to live anywhere near where they have been born and brought up. House building is now at an historic low. If we are to end the recession in the construction industry and provide houses for our young families then planning reform is essential. I do not believe, however, that planning reform to promote sustainable development need be the enemy of conservation: the new draft planning framework re-affirms the commitment to maintaining Green Belt protections to prevent urban sprawl and sets out a brand new right for local communities to protect green areas of particular importance to them. The designations for green belt, sites of special interest, and areas of outstanding natural beauty are unchanged.

The third reason I am in favour of reform, is because of the enormous opportunity it presents us to shape our own future and for elected councils to wrest control from government and developers. The draft framework makes clear that local councils should be positive and proactive in encouraging sustainable growth and addressing barriers to investment. It requires councils to work closely with businesses and communities to plan positively for the needs of each area.

For years people have been writing to me to complain that our market towns and villages are being wrecked by inappropriate over-development, the wrong type of housing and in the wrong place. The elected councils, despite the objections of local people, have been reluctant to refuse the applications because they have been in line with centrally imposed government guidelines and targets, and consequently would be upheld by inspectors when appealed, and with all the costs falling on local council tax payers.

No longer: the targets are being swept away and the planning guidelines reduced from 1200 pages to just 50. From now on it will be the local plan -drawn up by locally accountable councillors- that will hold sway. As for the’ presumption in favour of development’ which has proved so controversial, all this means is that if a planning application is in accordance with the local plan and presents no problems to it, then there should be no reason to delay .I say “bring it on”.