LETTER: The deception of ‘Localism’
Those fears would have been heightened after the Planning Inspectorate (PI) was given an excuse (through the 2013 NPPF) to permit speculative development, where there is a backlog of house building against population growth, even though Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) can’t make developers build houses.
I pointed out the inequity and dangers of that, in an open letter to Mr Maude in April, but have yet to receive a direct response.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdOn the other hand Planning Minister, Nick Boles, responded that Local Plans should take ‘full account of market and economic signals’, implying that LPAs should not be over-ridden in that way.
So I have suggested to him that LPAs should only be held accountable for identifying suitable land to match population projections, but not for the slow rate of house building, which has been caused by economic factors.
If I receive a positive response from the Planning Minister, then I will of course convey it to readers and fellow councillors, but I am not optimistic.
In the meantime house building remains behind the population curve, allowing the PI (unreasonably) to permit yet more speculative development on green field and flood-prone sites.
Advertisement
Hide Ad