Planning Reform

Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about the Government’s proposals to reform the planning system.

I share your concerns that the measures outlined pose a threat to our green spaces, remove important safeguards in the planning system, and will allow large developers to ignore quality, affordability and sustainability.

The Government said its White Paper on planning reforms aims to simplify and accelerate the planning process, yet critics have warned that a move to lighter regulation could lead to the development of the next generation of slum housing.

The Royal Institute of British Architects said the measures will do “almost nothing to guarantee the delivery of affordable, well-designed and sustainable homes”. Concerns have also been raised by the Local Government Association (LGA) regarding proposals for a new formula for calculating local housing requirements, which it said will not accurately reflect housing need.

While I agree that the planning system needs to be reformed, I am concerned that the Government’s proposals amount to a “Developer’s Charter” that will remove powers from communities and hand them to Whitehall-appointed boards of developers.

On sustainability and the environment, I believe the White Paper does little to address the urgent challenge of climate change, with no new proposals to address energy efficiency or climate goals more widely. Concerns have also been raised by the Campaign to Protect Rural England about the impact of these reforms on access to green spaces. I agree that it is not clear how the Government can reconcile its proposals in the planning White Paper with its existing commitments to protect and enhance our natural, built and historic environment.

A further proposal to increase the number of developers exempted from paying fees as a condition for receiving planning permission could also lead to a huge loss of affordable housing and local infrastructure such as schools, GP surgeries and transport.

Instead of side-lining local councils and communities – that are best placed to make decisions about planning in their areas – I believe the Government should instead focus on building the high-quality, genuinely affordable and environmentally sustainable housing that is needed. To maximise delivery of all tenures, I support calls for the Government to build a new generation of social housing.

An online consultation on the Government’s White Paper is accepting responses until 29 October 2020. I hope Ministers will reconsider their proposals and ensure that communities are at the heart of the planning process.

Thank you once again for contacting me about this important issue.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP