Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Planning

15 July 2021 · 15 other contributors · 14,118 words

Opened by Bob Seely Con Isle of Wight

Responding minister: Christopher Pincher

Housing

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Bob Seely raised concerns about planning in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Nine in ten planning applications are approved but only sixty percent of permissions are built, resulting in over one million unbuilt permissions within a decade.
  • The standard method of planning systematically disadvantages poorer parts of the country, particularly in the North and Midlands.
  • The minister proposes digitising the planning process to increase public engagement and streamline development in designated growth sites.

Key requests to Government

The lead MP suggests enshrining the ability to object to individual planning applications, giving greater weight to reforming neighbourhood plans, outlawing gazumping, fundamentally reforming the standard model and redirecting infrastructure funding and house building jobs to levelling-up areas as deliberate acts of policy. He also proposes a greenfield tax, zero-rating brownfield development, encouraging small-scale brownfield in small towns and communities with financial incentives.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Bob Seely Con Isle of Wight

Nine in ten planning applications are approved, but only sixty percent of permissions are built leading to over one million unbuilt permissions within a decade. The standard method systematically disadvantages poorer parts of the country, especially in the North and Midlands. For example, the north has 23% of the nation's population but its housing need is estimated at not even sixteen percent of the total with public expenditure on housing being only eighteen percent of the total.

Other contributors (15)
  • Andrew Griffith Con Arundel and South Downs

    Mr. Andrew Griffith raised concerns about large-scale inappropriate development on greenfield land in his constituency, highlighting a petition signed by 556 local residents against a proposed development in Storrington that would strain infrastructure and oppose the community's interests.

  • Claudia Webbe

    Ms. Claudia Webbe criticised the Government's planning Bill for prioritising wealthy landlords and developers over working people, advocating instead for more sustainable measures, better section 106 agreements, enhanced protection of renters' rights, and a focus on ending rough sleeping and homelessness.

  • Daniel Zeichner Lab Cambridge

    The hon. Member highlights the broken housing system and criticises the government's 'build, build, build' mantra for not recognising the concerns of those who care about the countryside. He mentions a battle in Horsham where the Knepp estate fears approval of thousands of homes. The MP also points out a contradiction between the Environment Act 2020 and the zonal planning system that undermines biodiversity net gain, noting significant developer donations to the Conservative party.

  • James Daly Con Bury North

    Supports the Government's position on localised planning systems, emphasizing local authorities' responsibility in setting housing need based on local circumstances. Defends the standard method for calculating housing need and stresses the importance of protecting green belt areas.

  • Kieran Mullan Con Bexhill and Battle

    The Member supports changes to the planning system but emphasises that new developments must be accompanied by improved public services and infrastructure. They stress the need for developers to build on land with existing permission rather than engaging in land banking. Concerned about limiting local councillor and resident input into individual decisions, they highlight potential legal battles against developer-biased zoning decisions.

  • Liz Twist Lab Blaydon and Consett

    The proposed changes to the planning system limit accountability and local input, cutting opportunities for public engagement. The housing delivery system is broken with nine in ten applications approved by councils but only one million homes built out of those given permission. There is a need for funding effective planning systems that can deal with the high volume of applications and ensure accessibility for older and disabled people. New Government data shows an increasing number of older and disabled people living in unsuitable housing, highlighting the importance of accessible home consultations.

  • Martin Vickers Con Brigg and Immingham

    The hon. Member expresses nostalgia for the days when every planning application was decided by elected representatives rather than delegated officers, highlighting a loss of democratic involvement in recent years. He emphasises the importance of community engagement in the planning process to prevent excessive development that overloads local services such as GP practices.

  • Matt Western Lab Warwick and Leamington

    Mr Western highlighted the need for a fair planning system that prioritises affordable housing, local democratic controls on developers, and respect for community wishes. He criticised proposed reforms as exacerbating over-development issues in his constituency, such as the East Whitnash development project which disregards traffic concerns and sustainable practices. The MP emphasised the importance of preserving local authority powers to assess building applications and suggested improvements like establishing regional development corporations and prioritising truly affordable homes.

  • Nickie Aiken Con Cities of London and Westminster

    Ms Aiken highlighted the importance of engaging local communities in planning to ensure quality homes that are appropriate for where people live. She noted a lack of affordable housing options between expensive properties for wealthy individuals and council-run estates, emphasizing the need for homes in the middle ground to maintain community diversity. Concerning recent changes in planning legislation, she argued these have made it harder for local authorities to influence development and secure necessary infrastructure funding through section 106 agreements.

  • Rachael Maskell Lab Co-op York Central

    Ms Maskell highlighted the lack of economic opportunities and housing needs in York, emphasising the need for integrated transport, sustainability and community engagement. She mentioned a 45-hectare brownfield site with potential to drive local economy but noted that only two and half times as many jobs are being created compared to houses built in York Central while Birmingham is creating nine times more jobs than houses. Concerned about luxury apartments pushing up market prices, she called for the use of such sites for economic growth and community reparations.

  • Ruth Cadbury Lab Brentford and Isleworth

    The MP expressed concern over the government's intent to replace the current planning system with a developers' charter, which would silence residents and stifle community voices. She highlighted how local councils are being gagged through changes to permitted development rights. Ruth Cadbury also mentioned that nine out of 10 applications are approved by councils but this right is being eroded under new reforms.

  • Selaine Saxby Con North Devon

    Ms Saxby discussed planning issues in North Devon where local communities do not trust their council's decisions despite building more than required. She highlighted the imbalance of second homes and holiday lets, noting that a village she represents had only six occupied houses out of 30 during the pandemic. She called for councils to have more authority over new developments to ensure they cater to family needs and affordability.

  • Suzanne Webb Con Stourbridge

    Welcomes reforms in the planning system for more local engagement with communities; highlights a controversial development of 6,000 dwellings on green belt that failed to address real housing needs and ignored constructive comments from residents. Calls for better consultation processes.

  • Tim Farron Lib Dem Westmorland and Lonsdale

    The issue of excessive second-home ownership and holiday lets has become catastrophic with up to 80% of house sales in some communities being into the second-home market. This leads to loss of local services such as schools, bus services, pubs, and post offices. The problem is exacerbated by platforms like Airbnb. There needs to be a change in planning law to separate holiday lets and second homes from family home categories, giving authorities power to police this and prevent leakage out of the family home market.

  • Wera Hobhouse Lib Dem Bath

    The Liberal Democrats believe in community empowerment and argue that the Government's planning reforms will deliver fewer homes, more unaffordable housing, less local decision-making, and undermine local authorities. The Member is concerned about removing local input into development applications and questions how a centralised system can reflect Bath's unique context as a UNESCO world heritage site. They mention over 1 million homes with planning permission that have not been built and criticise the private sector's failure to build social rent housing, urging for council housing infrastructure programmes instead. The MP challenged the Minister about the status of Bath and North East Somerset Council's local plan, claiming it is fully updated.

Government Response

Christopher Pincher

We need to reform the planning system to build more homes, make it faster, and engage more people. The current system needs improvement as plans take seven years on average to be instituted and five years for many applications to see construction begin. Only about 1% of local population engage in plan-making. We propose digitising the process to increase public engagement. In designated growth sites, developers who meet upfront design and infrastructure requirements will receive outline planning permission. For protected areas, existing rules apply. The minister also discussed an infrastructure levy to provide up-front infrastructure for communities and first homes initiative offering discounted homes for locals. £400 million was allocated last year for brownfield site remediation, with another £100 million announced in the latest budget.

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