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Winchester T: 01962 893 893 F: 01962 893 883
London T: 020 7812 6490 F: 020 7812 6677
info@remarkable-engagement.co.uk
Find out more about Localism visit localism-agenda.com
Residents could be given the right to appeal against developments that have been granted planning permission under a future Conservative government in radical plans due to be set out later this month. The move would allow opponents of a scheme to stop the development going ahead without going to the High Court.
The idea, set out in the Conservatives' forthcoming green paper and leaked to the Financial Times last week, has been criticised by Building Futures, a pressure group including Land Securities, Sergo, and Countryside Properties.
John Sluaghter, policy director of the Home Builders' Federation, said: "The radical transformation the Conservatives propose carries potentially high risks and could have significant unintended consequences."
The announcement is one of many to have been leaked ahead of the publication of the green paper, initially due before Christmas, and follows the shift towards a more localised process of decision-making.
Other ideas likely to be in the green paper include plans to give local authorities the power to set their own development targets.
Last week also saw the second reading of Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes's Section 106 bill, which seeks to write into law a provision to ensure more councils use money they receive from developers to build or improve social housing.
The need for the bill has been questioned by both Labour and the Conservatives though. The Communities Minister, Shahid Malik, said that while he supported the bill's basic propositions, Section 106 could already be used for affordable housing, and improvements to social housing were underway through the Decent Homes programme.
Hughes defended his bill - the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (Amendment) Bill - arguing that "it is intended absolutely not to add any burden but to take away one that restricts activity. I understand not wanting to limit local government's powers, but the [Conservative party] talks about localism and the Bill is about giving local authorities more power and more freedom so that they are less restricted."
The Conservatives' stance on financial contributions is likely to be set out in the green paper, now due later this month according to the Financial Times. Bob Neil MP, the Conservative Shadow Local Government and Planning Minister has previously suggested that the Conservatives might look at amending how financial contributions are made.
Mr Neil has also raised the possibility of introducing Tax Increment Funding, or TIF, a system widely used in America.
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