“Taking further planning powers away from communities and councils will only deprive them of the ability to define the area they live in and know best and risks giving developers the freedom to ride roughshod over local areas.”
“If the country is to come back stronger from COVID-19, then local communities must be at the heart of the recovery.”
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A new planning bill is being introduced to much fanfare, to get us to build, bulid, bulid:
New planning bill proposed – Vision Group for Sidmouth
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There have been suggestions that planning regulations/red tape/bureaucracy is somehow ‘holding back’ house-building:
Biodiversity Net Gain: of newts and planning – Vision Group for Sidmouth
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The Guardian’s architecture correspondent has pointed out that there is in fact real housebuilding going on:
Meet the councils quietly building a housing revolution | Cities | The Guardian
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Another big concern has been that any ‘building’ should be directed from where it’s actually happening:
Build back better – but locally – Vision Group for Sidmouth
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The Local Government Association and other key bodies have just issued a statement which addresses these urgent issues:
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KEEP PLANNING LOCAL – THE LGA’S OPEN STATEMENT ON PLANNING
COVID-19 has demonstrated the incredible spirit of communities as they united to support each other and fight this deadly virus
As we move forward, it should be they who drive the national recovery with the power and voice to shape their local area so it is somewhere they are proud to live, work and enjoy their time in, and where everyone has an opportunity to reach their full potential.
People want their local area to have high-quality affordable homes built in the right places, supported by the right infrastructure, which provides enough schools, promotes greener and more active travel, and tackles climate change.
This can only be achieved through a local planning system with public participation at its heart which enables councils to deliver resilient, prosperous places that meet the needs of their communities. It means beautiful areas and better homes.
Any suggestion that planning is a barrier to housebuilding is a myth. Nine in 10 planning applications are approved by councils, while more than a million homes given planning permission in the last decade have not yet been built.
Taking further planning powers away from communities and councils will only deprive them of the ability to define the area they live in and know best and risks giving developers the freedom to ride roughshod over local areas.
If the country is to come back stronger from COVID-19, then local communities must be at the heart of the recovery.
Keep planning local – The LGA’s open statement on planning – Rural Services Network