Labour set to slash number of official bodies that get a say in planning decisions in bid to unlock more development_Nhy
Labour wants to slash the number of official bodies that get a say in planning decisions in a drive to unlock more development.
The Government will consult on removing Sport England, the Theatres Trust and the Garden History Society from the list of ‘statutory consultees’, while the scope of others who get to give input is set to be narrowed.
Angela Rayner said reforms are needed to ensure the system is ‘sensible and balanced’ as the Government presses ahead with plans to build 1.5 million homes this Parliament.
However, one of the bodies set to be removed from the list has rejected the idea that they are an impediment to growth.
Reforms set out today will also state that councils should only be going to statutory consultees when it is necessary to do so, and decisions should not be delayed beyond the standard 21-day deadline.
The scope of other statutory consultees will be narrowed to focus on heritage, safety and environmental protection.
Housing Secretary Ms Rayner said: ‘We’ve put growth at the heart of our plans as a Government, with our Plan for Change milestone to secure 1.5 million homes and unleash Britain’s potential to build.
Angela Rayner (pictured with Keir Starmer at a construction site in Cambridgeshire in December) said reforms are needed to the planning system
‘We need to reform the system to ensure it is sensible and balanced, and does not create unintended delays – putting a hold on people’s lives and harming our efforts to build the homes people desperately need.
‘New developments must still meet our high expectations to create the homes, facilities and infrastructure that communities need.’
Housebuilders and planning authorities have said statutory consultees can take too long to offer their advice and submit holding objections which are then later withdrawn.
In the last three years more than 300 applications have been taken to the Secretary of State after disagreements from consultees, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said.
The Theatres Trust said it is ‘confident’ it ‘proactively engages with all local planning authorities and developers and provides our advice in a timely and efficient manner’.
In a statement, chief executive officer Joshua McTaggart and chairman Dave Moutrey said they ‘welcome the announcement of a review’ but called on the Government to ‘oversee a data-led and rigorous process that will ensure each of the individual 25 statutory consultees are considered on their own merit’.
Rejecting the idea that they are an infringement on growth, they said: ‘While housebuilding is a necessary part of the country’s growth, we know this Government also understands that communities need to have access to culture, storytelling and educational opportunities.
Kevin Hollinrake, Shadow Housing Secretary, said the proposal is causing more delay
‘Theatres are a key provider of this and theatres are what we endeavour to protect.’
Kevin Hollinrake, Shadow Housing Secretary, said: ‘We welcome the continuation of work we were doing in Government to speed up the planning system, but this is yet more delay and another review.
‘These proposed changes will do nothing to help ordinary Brits onto the housing ladder because the Government has scrapped Stamp Duty discounts and Help to Buy that helped around one million first-time buyers purchase a home.
‘Nor will they take the action needed to control our borders and cut immigration.
‘The Government must back Conservative proposals to the Borders Bill this week to dramatically cut immigration and ensure new homes go to British families and not illegal immigrants.’
