Fear developers will ignore local plans

Councils: A slowdown in house-building because of the coronavirus crisis could see councils unfairly penalised and communities denied a say in new developments under planning rules, a new survey by the District Councils’ Network warns.

With construction on new homes almost coming to a standstill in recent months, many councils fear that they may fall short of meeting their housing targets, meaning local plans designating where development can take place can be ignored by developers.