Planning reforms ‘catastrophic’ for areas of natural beauty

BORIS JOHNSON’S planning reforms are “catastrophic” and put areas of outstanding natural beauty at risk, the treasurer of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPS has warned.

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-brown said that the controversial algorithm designed to assess the need for building across the country is “skewed” to prompt investment across rural England rather than in major cities.

Writing for the Telegraph website, the MP for the Cotswolds, where 80 per cent of the district is classified as an area of outstanding natural beauty, expresses his concern that such areas will see a disproportionate amount of development. Sir Geoffrey said: “We have been assured that our green belt will be protected, but the proposals do not go far enough in protecting our areas of outstanding natural beauty.

“Too often, developers have been able to push through schemes within areas of outstanding natural beauty on the basis that local authorities have not provided enough shovel-ready building land. The White Paper may be a radical reform in some respects, but the binding local house building targets proposed are likely to worsen existing problems.”

This week, MPS voted through a motion for the Commons to be given a debate and vote on the Government’s proposals, with Theresa May leading the rebellion. The former prime minister warned that the plans were “ill conceived”. Analysis of the algorithm has alarmed many Conservative MPS and councillors after it suggested that many of the homes needed to meet an annual target of 333,000 would be built in traditional Tory heartlands.

Sir Geoffrey said: “There needs to be levelling up of house building in the North and Midlands rather than continuing to concentrate building in the already highly developed South.”

In Sir Geoffrey’s own constituency, the formula would require the district council to plan for more than double the current amount of planned housing.

More than 80 Tory MPS are understood to be opposed to the plans.