Susanna Gillman,
PlanningResource,
1 September 2009
Tory-run councils have been advised to delay major commercial and housing developments until the Conservatives get into power.
Shadow communities secretary Caroline Spelman has written to Conservative local authorities to set out more clearly the practicalities of her party’s intention to scrap regional planning structures.
According to the letter, the Conservatives will introduce a local government and housing bill in its first year of office to abolish regional spatial strategies (RSS).
But before primary legislation, the Tories would seek to "revoke RSSs in whole or in part".
The party would allow local authorities to "put the brakes on elements of RSSs which they find undesirable such as green belt reviews."
But the Conservatives are unlikely to do away with the local development framework (LDF) regime.
Spelman said under a Tory administration councils would be able partially review their LDFs to undo unwanted planning policies imposed by regional planners.
But she added: "The local development framework regime, imposed by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, has been so time-consuming and bureaucratic that I sense that there is little desire in local government to go back to square one, and start the whole torturous process from scratch."
The letter has sparked concerns from housebuilders that it will delay new homes and worsen the housing supply crisis.
But Conservative shadow housing minister Grant Shapps told the Observer that regional housing targets were not working: "We don’t believe in a top-down approach that is Stalinist in nature Housing completions are at record lows.
"This has to be seen in the context that would give real incentives to build more homes. We are unabashed about the need for more housing."
Communities secretary John Healey said: "The Tories are getting ahead of themselves and taking the election for granted. Crude threats and uncertainty are the last thing builders need now as they battle to come out of recession.
"We're backing builder with £1billion to kickstart stalled housebuilding, and they're inciting councils to cut the ground from under the construction industry.
"This seems deliberately designed to slam the brakes on building, yet they have no plausible policy to secure the investment and new homes the country needs."
susanna.gillman@haymarket.com
