DISTRICT COUNCILS RESPOND TO GOVERNMENT PLANNING SHAKE-UP

Responding to the proposed shake-up of planning laws set out by the Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick, Cllr Mark Crane, District Councils’ Network lead member for stronger economies, said:

“Getting the country building desperately-needed homes again will be a vital part of the national recovery from coronavirus, and district councils stand shovel-ready to deliver.

“But we cannot compromise on the quality of new homes and places and side-line public consultation, which we fear will be the consequence of the Government’s planning reforms.

“District councils and their local communities continue to grant nine in 10 planning permissions, while tens of thousands of homes with planning permission remain unbuilt – the housing delivery system is broken, not the planning system.

“To tackle the housing crisis, councils need to be given the funding to invest in infrastructure and the powers to build homes that are green, high quality, and affordable.”