District councils should be given a seat at the table of new strategic authorities to ensure their longstanding housing and planning expertise is fully utilised, DCN’s Chair has told MPs.

Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen this morning gave evidence to the MPs developing the English Devolution & Community Empowerment Bill.

“If we want to work in partnership with the Government to develop 1.5 million new homes, you need planning authorities at the table,” Cllr Chapman-Allen told the public bill committee.

He also urged that the Bill was used to instigate a “bottom-up approach to devolution”, so that “local residents get to shape what their communities look like”.