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Just over 12 hours ago, @RobertJenrick published ‘Planning for the Future’, a white paper that seeks to rip up planning & #39;red tape& #39; by taking control away from local people. Shall we take a look at how it& #39;s going down? 
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(SPOILER ALERT: not very well...) https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/planning-for-the-future">https://www.gov.uk/governmen...
(SPOILER ALERT: not very well...) https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/planning-for-the-future">https://www.gov.uk/governmen...
Let’s start with expert planners shall we? Here’s the Town and Country Planning Association @theTCPA: “This kind of disruptive reform doesn’t suit anybody, neither landowners nor developers." Hmmm, go on... https://twitter.com/theTCPA/status/1291024002593554432?s=20">https://twitter.com/theTCPA/s...
. @theTCPA Head of Policy added: “They’re turning the system on its head at a time when it’s working very well for the volume house builders … there are about a million unbuilt permissions.” https://twitter.com/theTCPA/status/1291024002593554432?s=20">https://twitter.com/theTCPA/s...
“It’s about local democracy. When local people are walking down the street and come across a new development they didn’t know about, the answer will now be: ‘You should have been involved in the consultation eight years ago when the code was agreed.’” https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/aug/05/englands-planning-reforms-will-create-generation-of-slums">https://www.theguardian.com/politics/...
.@TheTPCP “It’s diluting the democratic process. At the moment, people get two chances to be involved: once when the plan is made, and once when a planning application is submitted. Now they’ll only have a chance when the code is being prepared.” https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/home/home/zonal-planning-is-undemocratic-planning-67403">https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/home/home...
OK so the PLANNERS are NOT on board with @RobertJenrick& #39;s approach to, er, PLANNING.
Fine, but how about the architects…? They’ll support the proposals, because the government says it will mean ‘beautiful homes’, right…?https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🤔" title="Denkendes Gesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Denkendes Gesicht">
Fine, but how about the architects…? They’ll support the proposals, because the government says it will mean ‘beautiful homes’, right…?
Ah… The Royal Institute of British Architects @RIBA has described the proposals as “shameful” and said they would do “almost nothing to guarantee the delivery of affordable, well-designed and sustainable homes”...
https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/deregulation-wont-solve-the-housing-crisis-riba-criticises-jenricks-planning-reforms">https://www.architecture.com/knowledge...
https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/deregulation-wont-solve-the-housing-crisis-riba-criticises-jenricks-planning-reforms">https://www.architecture.com/knowledge...
The @RIBA president Alan Jones @AlanJonesFRIBA added: “Paired with the extension of permitted development rights last week, there’s every chance they could also lead to the development of the next generation of slum housing.” https://twitter.com/AlanJonesFRIBA/status/1290962352205180931?s=20">https://twitter.com/AlanJones...
What about housing charities? If the changes would increase housing they’ll be supporting it right? Er… wrong.
@Shelter says that social housing “could face extinction” if the requirement for developers to build their fair share was removed. https://twitter.com/Shelter/status/1291132134116163585?s=20">https://twitter.com/Shelter/s...
@Shelter says that social housing “could face extinction” if the requirement for developers to build their fair share was removed. https://twitter.com/Shelter/status/1291132134116163585?s=20">https://twitter.com/Shelter/s...
. @Shelter Chief @pollyn1 said: “Section 106 agreements between developers and councils are tragically one of the only ways we get social homes built these days, due to a lack of direct government investment, so, it makes no sense to remove this route.” https://twitter.com/pollyn1/status/1291149600762613762?s=20">https://twitter.com/pollyn1/s...
The Campaign to Protect Rural England? @CPRE: “The government’s aim to deliver carbon neutral new homes by 2050 is pitiful […] If this government is serious about tackling the climate emergency, it needs to be much, much more ambitious on new build.” https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/climate-change-uk-government-planning-reforms-robert-jenrick-a9656161.html">https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/p...
Wildlife charities?
@WildlifeTrusts “New government planning changes will create a bleak, fragmented landscape in which nature will continue to decline.” https://twitter.com/WildlifeTrusts/status/1291308344976834560?s=20">https://twitter.com/WildlifeT...
@WildlifeTrusts “New government planning changes will create a bleak, fragmented landscape in which nature will continue to decline.” https://twitter.com/WildlifeTrusts/status/1291308344976834560?s=20">https://twitter.com/WildlifeT...
“We live in one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world ... Protecting isolated fragments of land is not enough to help wildlife recover nor will it put nature into people’s lives…"
OK, so we& #39;ll put them in the against column.
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/news/new-planning-proposals-will-fail-protect-nature">https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/news/new-...
OK, so we& #39;ll put them in the against column.
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/news/new-planning-proposals-will-fail-protect-nature">https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/news/new-...
Even the mild-mannered minitrowel-wielding archaeologists are worried about these ‘oversimplified’ plans, which offer ‘little hint that precautionary archaeological investigation has been considered’: https://twitter.com/InstituteArch/status/1291314609568219142?s=20">https://twitter.com/Institute...
Still, given that @RobertJenrick says this is a ‘once in a generation’ change, I’m sure he’ll have worked hard to build political consensus and devise a system that offers widespread political support across the divide. Let’s see, shall we…
Not a good start…
Total opposition from @UKLabour - Shadow Planning Minister @MikeAmesburyMP said:
“This is a Developer’s Charter that will see communities side-lined in decisions and denied vital funding for building schools, clinics and community infrastructure."
Total opposition from @UKLabour - Shadow Planning Minister @MikeAmesburyMP said:
“This is a Developer’s Charter that will see communities side-lined in decisions and denied vital funding for building schools, clinics and community infrastructure."
Labour’s @MikeAmesburyMP continued: “These proposals will only serve to blight communities with a new wave of slum housing – the Government’s own independent report even warned of the poor quality of housing built outside the planning system.” https://labour.org.uk/press/developers-charter-will-see-communities-side-lined-mike-amesbury/">https://labour.org.uk/press/dev...
How about the Lib Dems? Well it looks like @LibDemPress are taking a well-earned holiday as they haven’t commented yet, but the @libdemslocal have firmly come off the fence for this one: https://twitter.com/libdemlocalgov/status/1291272679455162368?s=20">https://twitter.com/libdemloc...
And the lone @TheGreenParty MP @CarolineLucas has slammed the plans too: https://twitter.com/CarolineLucas/status/1291267254198427648?s=20">https://twitter.com/CarolineL...
Last, not certainly not least, how have councils, who have managed local communities involvement in planning since 1947, reacted?
Let’s just say… not well...https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="😥" title="Enttäuschtes, aber erleichtertes Gesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Enttäuschtes, aber erleichtertes Gesicht">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten" aria-label="Emoji: Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten">
Let’s just say… not well...
Cross-party @LGAComms: “Any loss of local control over developments would be a concern. It would deprive communities of the ability to define the area they live in and know best and risk giving developers the freedom to ride roughshod over local areas.” https://twitter.com/LGAcomms/status/1291124635174612993?s=20">https://twitter.com/LGAcomms/...
“Nine in 10 applications are approved by councils with more than a million homes given planning permission over the last decade yet to be built. The system needs to ensure planning permissions are built.” https://local.gov.uk/lga-responds-government-planning-future-proposal">https://local.gov.uk/lga-respo...
“It is vital that these are delivered through a locally-led planning system with public participation at its heart which gives communities the power to ensure developments are of a high standard, built in the right places, and include affordable homes.” https://www.local.gov.uk/keep-planning-local">https://www.local.gov.uk/keep-plan...
