“Councils are committed to building the homes the country desperately needs, however it is vital the planning process is allowed to do its job, by making sure that homes are built in the right places, are affordable to those who need them and supported by the right infrastructure."
Responding to the Government’s announcement that developers will be able to extend buildings upwards without planning permission, the Local Government Association’s planning spokesman, Cllr David Renard, said:
“Councils are committed to building the homes the country desperately needs, however it is vital the planning process is allowed to do its job, by making sure that homes are built in the right places, are affordable to those who need them and supported by the right infrastructure.
“Permitted development rules take away the ability of local communities to shape the area they live in, ensure homes are well-designed with the necessary infrastructure in place and have resulted in the potential loss of thousands of affordable homes, as developers are not required to provide any affordable housing.
“Limiting the application of planning rules also goes against the Government’s commitment to implement the recommendations in Dame Judith Hackitt’s report into building safety.
“Planning is not a barrier to house-building, with councils approving nine in 10 planning applications. It is essential that councils and local communities have a voice in the planning process.
“We reiterate our call for the Government to give councils the powers to invest in new homes for those who need them, such as by urgently reforming the Right to Buy scheme, in addition to powers to get the hundreds of thousands of homes with planning permission built more quickly.”