Councils must build homes or face sanctions

Prime Minister promises planning shake-up will deliver houses cheaper, faster and in right places

COUNCILS will be ordered to build a set number of homes each year and will be sanctioned if they fail, under new draft planning laws.

The proposals have been described as the biggest centralisation of the system in a generation, as Boris Johnson pledged to build more homes “in the right places”. The Prime Minister said: “It takes far too long to build a home in this country and they’re way, way too expensive by comparison with France, Germany.”

At present, councils have a say in deciding how many homes of the 300,000 national yearly target they can build. Under the draft legislation, they would instead be given “binding” targets which the Government says will “drive greater land release”. Councils

would face sanctions if they fail to build the set number of homes. A Government source last night said the exact sanctions are yet to be determined.

Councils will also be forced to layout “local plans” showing where homes can be built. Currently only about half have such schemes. These would take into account factors such as the green belt, flood risks and brownfield sites.

Planning experts said it is the “biggest shift from localism in a generation”. Law firm Irwin Mitchell said: “Under the new system, local plans would not set planning policy – that would be undertaken by central government.”

James Jamieson, the Conservative chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “Any loss of local control over developments would be a concern”, adding that nine in 10 applications are approved by councils.

During a visit to a housing development in Warrington, Mr Johnson said the reforms will see more social housing built. He said the system would be “simpler, clearer and quicker to navigate, delivering results in weeks and months rather than years and decades”.

The White Paper proposes that all new streets should be tree-lined and all new homes carbon-neutral by 2050. Planning permission for “beautiful buildings” will be fast-tracked.

Robert Jenrick, the Housing Secretary, said: “It’s socially unjust that the younger generation should find it so hard to get on the property ladder.”

The Royal Institute of British Architects said the reforms could create the “next generation of slum housing”, which Mr Jenrick dismissed as “complete nonsense”, adding: “We will cut red tape, but not standards.”