Permitted Development Rights

Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about proposals to expand permitted development rights (PDRs).

I support calls for the Government to reverse planning rules that would enable our high streets to be sold off to the highest bidder for poor quality housing without planning permission. Local communities should be at the heart of planning; they deserve a proper stake in the development of their towns.

As you know, the Government recently consulted on a new PDR to allow more property types - including shops, banks, restaurants, gyms and creches - to be turned into housing. The policy, which allows developers to bypass the planning system on certain sites, has been linked to a rise in inadequate housing in recent years. Indeed, a Government-commissioned report concluded that PDR creates “worse-quality residential environments”.

Local government, as well as housing and planning bodies, have voiced their opposition to the Government’s proposals. I agree. I am concerned that the expansion of PDRs has created a get-out clause for developers to avoid affordable homes requirements and led to the development of slum housing.

The Local Government Association said the proposals would weaken democratic accountability and transparency and deprive local communities of section 106 developer contributions. The Royal Institute of British Architects has also criticised the plans, saying they could create a “race to the bottom” and lead to “shoddy, small and inadequate homes”.

These proposals are part of wider Government reforms to the planning system. Ministers argue their aim is to simplify and accelerate the planning process. However, I remain concerned that the plans amount to a ‘Developer’s Charter’ that will remove powers from communities and hand them to Whitehall-appointed boards of developers.

Instead of side-lining local councils and communities – that are best placed to make decisions about planning in their areas – the Government should put them at the heart of the planning process and focus on policies that will deliver high-quality, genuinely affordable and environmentally sustainable housing.

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

Yours sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP