Bath’s MP, Wera Hobhouse, has condemned the Government’s latest planning reforms, warning that they represent a serious erosion of local democracy and sideline the voices of communities.
Under the new rules, local councillors will no longer have the final say on major housing developments of 150 homes or more. Instead, if councillors wish to refuse an application with 150 homes or more, the decision can be taken out of local hands and referred directly to the Housing Secretary.
Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, said:
“This is an extraordinary power grab by the Government and an insult to local people. Local councillors are democratically elected to make decisions on behalf of their communities, not to act as a rubber stamp for ministers in Whitehall.
“Good planning decisions are community-led and built with the vital infrastructure communities need, including GPs, NHS dentists and schools. That requires local knowledge and democratic accountability.
“If Ministers are serious about speeding up housebuilding, they should properly fund social housing and fix the chronic underfunding of council planning teams.”
Liberal Democrat Councillor Matt McCabe, Bath & North East Somerset Cabinet Member for Built Environment, Housing and Sustainable Development, commented:
“Developments of 150 or more homes will be significant for all of our communities in Bath & North East Somerset. Residents would expect their local councillors to be championing their views all the way through to the Planning Committee. To be reducing this local democratic input into the planning process is a blow for residents and a triumph for speculative developers.”
The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to reverse these changes and recommit to a planning system that is locally led, democratically accountable, and focused on delivering genuinely sustainable development.
- The Government’s planning reforms allow applications for developments of 150 homes or more to be ‘called in’ by the Housing Secretary if a local authority is minded to refuse them.
- The changes also pave the way for more planning decisions to be taken by officers rather than elected councillors.
- You can read further information on the Government Chief Planner announcement here and reported in Housing Today
Not sure what else the government can do because we all know that leaving the decision to build 150 houses with “local voices” will lead to rejection 100% of the time.
Well done our MP Wera Hobhouse a great statement and perceptive comments.
We need to protect ourselves from inappropriate Central Government meddling and tries to get more powe.
Just stop Government and do the things you were elected for and get back to that.
Leaves our local government officers to do their jobs independently, in the areas they have agency and have more accurate LOCAL powers and information to make such important decisions on HOUSING and the social contract BANES has already and Keep Out of these matters if they are appealed to as the proper Abitrator to go to.