Housing Secretary Rayner states planning reforms aim to eliminate development “chaos”

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has stated that revising planning regulations to circumvent local councils will eliminate “chaos and subjectiveness” from the framework. These proposed alterations are designed to empower local authority planning officials to approve development applications directly, without requiring endorsement from council committees, provided they adhere to established local plans and national standards. While property developers have largely endorsed this simplification, the Conservative party has criticized Labour for “ignoring” communities. During an appearance on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Rayner instructed councils to “get your plans in order” as the administration aims to fulfill its manifesto commitment to construct 1.5 million new residences. The deputy prime minister indicated that the government intends to mandate all councils to formalize development plans, noting that the lack of such plans has resulted in projects becoming “get stuck in the system”. Rayner further explained: “Because we haven’t had these compulsory plans locally, we’ve seen speculative development where greenbelt land has been developed on… we’ve told councils they’ve got to have those plans.” She asserted that “If developers follow the national framework, which protects the environment and looks at other elements, then they shouldn’t be stuck in the system for years.” She refuted claims that the government is disregarding local authorities, stating that the modifications were essential to achieve what would represent the most significant rise in home construction since the 1950s. “It’s going to take a lot of change to deliver that,” Rayner concluded. Richard Fuller, the Conservative shadow Treasury minister, described the government’s construction objective as “reasonable,” but appended: “If you want to achieve that, you’ve got to bring the people with you, and, unfortunately, Labour seem to be saying that Angela [Rayner] is best and local people can be ignored.” Earlier in the week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer reiterated his commitment to construct 1.5 million new residences by 2029, even while acknowledging that this goal might be “a little too ambitious”. This expedited planning procedure would be applicable to residential projects and related infrastructure, including educational facilities, provided they have received general approval within local development plans that outline councils’ land use strategies for their respective areas. The government has indicated that if these proposals “comply” with the aforementioned plans, they possess the potential to “bypass planning committees entirely to tackle chronic uncertainty, unacceptable delays and unnecessary waste of time and resources”. Government planning data reveals that from January to March 2024, merely 19% of significant applications were processed within the mandated 13-week timeframe, and only 38% of minor applications were processed within the mandated eight-week timeframe. The initiative to increase housing stock might resonate with voters facing difficulties in homeownership. However, even modest residential developments frequently encounter opposition from local residents due to various factors, such as worries regarding the strain on local schools, medical services, roadways, and parking. Rayner stated that government ministers have received directives to guarantee that new infrastructure initiatives are directed towards regions slated for new residential construction. She further commented: “Many people will say, ‘I don’t mind housing but we don’t have the roads, we’re already struggling to get a GP appointment’. Fixing those foundations at the same time is crucial to get the buy-in from those local areas.” Removing the ability for local residents to challenge a development by presenting arguments to a planning committee could provoke political opposition, especially in countryside regions. Labour has previously alienated farmers by including agricultural land under inheritance tax regulations and must cultivate backing beyond urban centers to sustain its political influence. The Local Government Association (LGA) asserted that, contrary to planning delays being the cause of stalled home construction, one million prospective homes had actually received in-principle approval from councils within their local strategies, yet developers had not advanced their plans. Councillor Adam Hug, who serves as the housing spokesperson for the association representing local councils, stated that local authorities and communities “need to be full partners in tackling the housing crisis together”. He further noted that this objective could be accomplished through “new development supported by the infrastructure needed to make communities thrive and proper consultation and engagement that can help ensure local people are able to benefit”. The Home Builders Federation (HBF) commented that although “democratic involvement and oversight of planning” constitutes a “fundamental element of the process,” it can be “very frustrating for applicants to have the principle of development debated over and over again”. The housing ministry additionally aims to simplify the strategic planning procedure and implement a mandate for enhanced training for individuals on planning committees. A Planning and Infrastructure Bill is scheduled for introduction next month. Numerous figures within local government and the residential construction sector contend that the current compulsory objective of 1.5 million new homes by 2029 will be unattainable. A Conservative spokesperson stated that the government has “set a house building ‘target’ that the OBR has already said they can’t achieve because of their own Budget”. The HBF concurred with the LGA’s assessment that councils require additional planning resources and also advocated for increased financial assistance for young individuals purchasing homes. Kate Henderson, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, informed the BBC that reforms are essential to address the “massive challenge” of reaching the government’s “really ambitious” home construction goal. She emphasized that local authorities must “plan for the population now and for the population in the future” and urged the government to foster collaboration among council areas to guarantee the provision of social and affordable housing alongside any increase in home building. The government is set to unveil additional reforms next week by revising England’s planning guidelines, the National Planning Policy Framework. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.