The housing secretary Robert Jenrick has sought to assuage growing Conservative Party concerns about the upcoming planning bill by agreeing to meet a leading backbench opponent and “reassure” him over the proposed measures.
How the MHCLG is organising itself to face its planning white paper challenges
The housing ministry is beefing up its planning team to help push forward the radical white paper proposals, as observers suggest it has a lot of work to do in trawling through thousands of consultation responses, preparing legislation in a timely fashion and seeing off potential backbench resistance.
Government ‘shares vision of planning system that delivers on design and environment’, says Pincher
Housing minister Christopher Pincher and England’s chief planner Joanna Averley defended charges that the government’s proposed planning changes fail to address democratic, social and sustainability concerns, in an online debate earlier today.
Housing minister promises government response to standard method consultation ‘shortly’
Housing minister Christopher Pincher has promised that the outcome of the government’s review into its standard method of assessing housing need will be announced “shortly” and suggested that ministers may be open to recognising “regional differences” when taking forward plans for a new infrastructure levy.
Tory West Midlands mayor expects ‘substantial change’ to planning white paper
Conservative West Midlands mayor Andy Street has said that he is expecting “substantial change” to the planning white paper, despite the government being “committed” to the document.
National Model Design Code may not be issued until early next year, chief planner reveals
The government’s National Model Design Code may not be published until early next year, the government’s chief planner has revealed, after she told a conference that it should be issued “within the next couple of months”.
Housing minster says consultancies’ estimates of local housing need changes are ‘entirely speculative’
Estimates by planning consultancies and other experts of the results of the government’s proposed updated version of its standard method of calculating local housing need are “entirely speculative”, housing minister Christopher Pincher has said.
Housebuilders warn over ‘retrograde’ white paper proposals to drop five-year land supply requirement
The planning white paper’s proposed removal of the requirement for councils to have a five-year housing land supply would be “a significant retrograde step” that would have a “detrimental effect” on housing delivery and local plan-making, the Home Builders Federation (HBF) has warned.
Making permitted development changes subject to new levy will boost affordable housing and infrastructure provision, says minister
Proposals in the planning white paper to allow changes of use under permitted development (PD) rights to be subject to developer contributions would result in more affordable housing and more money for local infrastructure, the housing minister Christopher Pincher has promised.
Chief planner reiterates call for councils to push on with local plans despite white paper uncertainty
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s chief planner has reiterated its call for councils not to delay work on local plans over uncertainty about the impacts of the planning white paper, following one local authority’s announcement that it will do exactly that.