Johnson faces Tory rebellion over housing
Boris Johnson faces a rebellion in his ruling Conservative Party over plans to overhaul England’s planning system to accelerate house building.
Former cabinet minister Damian Green said “dozens” of Tory MPs are prepared to vote against the Planning Bill when it is put to parliament. “I think it is very likely that government will have to think again,” he said.
Under the government’s proposals, local authorities in England must designate zones for protection or development, making it easier for builders to get planning permission and harder for residents to object.
Ministers see the change as a way to help meet the target of building 300,000 new homes a year. The reforms will help the Tories make further inroads in the so-called Red Wall seats in northern England that until recently typically voted Labour.
Tory strategists say home ownership plays a part in voters switching allegiance from other parties. But some Tory MPs in southeast England and London fear the new zonal system will pave the way for swathes of new development that will be unpopular with residents, especially in affluent neighbourhoods that typically vote Conservative.
Though Johnson has a majority in parliament, the divisions over planning are a sign of the challenge he faces trying to incorporate a broader spectrum of interests after the electoral gains in recent years. Former prime minister Theresa May — whose Maidenhead district west of London has seen much development in recent years — said the plans threaten to “see the wrong homes being built in the wrong places”.
Green, who represents Ashford in southeast England, said the government is mistaken in thinking the current planning system is what is holding up building. “What’s happening is that developers aren’t penalised for sitting on land and not developing it,” he said.
A spokesperson for the ministry of housing, communities and local government said the proposed reforms would give communities a “greater voice” at the start of the planning process.
“Locally created design codes will also be introduced, reflecting the preferences of local communities and every council will need to get a local plan in place.”