TORIES PLOTTING BONFIRE OF THE PLANNING LAWS
Automatic permission in ‘three-zone’ system
HUNDREDS of thousands of homes could be built in England without full-blown planning permission under Tory plans.
Ministers will this week unveil an overhaul of the planning system England has used for 73 years, in a bid to speed up new homes.
Instead of residents being able to fight every individual scheme from its beginning, councils will divide land into three categories in advance.
In the “growth” zone, developers will automatically have permission “in principle” to build homes, hospitals, schools, shops and offices.
Sources say specifics will still need approval, including whether plans comply with a design code.
“Renewal” zones will also have a “permission in principle approach”.
Development will be restricted in “protected” zones, which will include the green belt and areas of outstanding natural beauty.
A consultation this week is expected to suggest ending letters to every resident likely to be affected by a scheme.
Instead, there will be a move towards online notifications. Notices would no longer appear on lampposts. Robert Jenrick, the Housing Secretary, said the proposed changes would “cut red tape, not standards” and help speed up the process. But James Jamieson, chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “It is vital that any reforms provide the right protections so residents have the power to shape the area they live in.”
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, added: “Instead of getting England building faster, major changes to the planning system could actually slow England down.”