Should we relax our planning regulations?

INSTEAD of relaxing planning regulations, the Government should embrace the concept that upgrading existing housing stock is more environmentally friendly than demolishing it. Sadly, we get a Dickensian white paper that puts the developer first and the local community plan in the bin.

S. BAUGHAN, Blandford, Dorset. RELAXING planning regulations will not produce affordable houses, which we need, but more developments of four and fivebedroom properties on which developers make the most money. Currently, a few affordable houses are added to an estate as a token gesture. The proposals will mean that, instead, a contribution levy will be collected by local authorities towards providing affordable houses. This will create wealthy and poorer areas. The nation voted for a Conservative government to get Brexit done, not to trample over local communities in favour of big business.

J. WATSON, Lancaster.

THE Government is pandering to the developers by sideswiping the planners. The vision of tree-lined suburbs of the future hasn’t considered the damage that the roots will cause to pavements, walls and underground service ducts. We are entering the era of electric cars so instead of trees we need to cater for off-road parking to charge vehicles overnight.

BARRY DAVIES, Chorley, Lancs. MY LOCAL area has already seen the relaxing of planning regulations. Despite objections from all our local MPs of every party, environmental organisations and 90 per cent of local people, permission has been granted to a developer to build up to 2,000 houses on a greenfield site. We already don’t have enough school places, doctors and dentists in the area, while the roads are gridlocked during rush hour. Although I agree we need more houses, there are hundreds of acres of brownfield sites just waiting to be built on in Greater Manchester.

CLIFF BROWN, Westhoughton, Gtr Manchester.