Northampton councillors have ‘concerns’ over Government plans to overhaul planning system

A white paper entitled ‘Planning for the Future’ was produced by the Government earlier this week and put out to consultation with several new proposals that would vastly change the planning process.

Proposals include splitting land into three categories – ‘growth’ areas suitable for substantial development; ‘renewal’ areas suitable for development; and areas that are ‘protected’.

One of the more controversial policy ideas would see areas identified for ‘growth’ for substantial development being automatically granted outline planning permission for the principle of development – effectively negating the need for a debate on whether the principle of a specific type of development should be allowed.

There are also plans to introduce a new set rate ‘community levy’ for developer contributions towards infrastructure such as roads, schools, medical facilities and libraries – with this replacing the current ‘section 106’ agreements that are currently negotiated between councils and developers.

Motions have been submitted from both the Labour and Liberal Democrat opposition parties calling on Northampton Borough Council to ‘express its concerns’ to the Government over the proposals. They will be voted on at next Monday’s full council meeting (September 14).

One of the motions, from Liberal Democrat councillor Brian Markham, states: “Council is concerned that the proposals seek to reduce or remove the right of residents to have their say on applications in their communities; grant automatic rights for developers to build on land identified as ‘for growth’; and remove section 106 payments for infrastructure and their replacement with a national levy.

“The Royal Institute for British Architects (RIBA) called the proposals ‘shameful and which will do almost nothing to guarantee delivery of affordable, well-designed and sustainable homes’. RIBA also said that proposals could lead to the next generation of slum housing. The reforms are opposed by the all-party Local Government Association.

“We therefore ask the Chief Executive to write to the Minister of State for Housing & Planning and to our local Members of Parliament expressing our concerns.”

And Labour councillor Enam Haque’s motion adds: “We are alarmed at the Government’s proposal to give additional development rights to developers. The proposal will bypass the planning system and lead to development that is neither strategic nor of good quality.

“The housing crisis and the climate emergency means we need affordable, good quality, energy efficient homes.

“We therefore call on the council to write to the Government expressing our concern at their proposal for deregulation. We further call on the council to take all necessary steps to ensure that where housing is developed on commercial sites under the new regulations, that 35 per cent of the housing is affordable and all are of a quality consistent with our aspiration to provide the best we can.”

The motions will require the support of some members of the Conservative administration if they are to pass, and already some have expressed their own doubts.

Councillor Brian Oldham, who is the chairman of the council’s planning committee, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “It’s going to relax the rules a bit. But I need to look at it in a bit more detail and discuss it with our own planning department as we need to know what kind of impact it is going to have on them.

“I’m just a bit concerned that it’s a bit of a developer’s charter, but I do want to hear some other views on it.

“I intend to speak next week on the motions, depending on what is said. I can sympathise to a certain extent [with the motions] but we might look at some amendments. But I do have concerns.”

The government consultation runs from now until Thursday October 29.