West Midlands Labour councillor slams Keir Starmer's Government over planning rules ‘disaster about to happen’

The Labour Government, which came into power last year, has said it is ‘fixing the planning system’ after it pledged to build 1.5 million new homes over the course of the current Parliament.

Earlier this week, it said new changes would ‘optimise land use’ through higher-density development and simplified biodiversity rules for smaller sites.

Good housing projects would also be fast-tracked if they meet national standards for energy efficiency.

The Government says such proposals would build on the “urgent steps already taken to fix a planning system that too often has blocked rather than built”.

“Right now we see a planning system that still isn’t working well enough,” housing secretary Steve Reed said on Tuesday (December 16).

“A system saying ‘no’ more often than it says ‘yes’ and that favours obstructing instead of building.”

But the plans have attracted criticism from a Birmingham councillor in Mr Reed’s own party amid concerns over planning controls being “stripped away”.

“I think this is a disaster about to happen frankly,” Councillor Philip Davis said at a planning meeting on Thursday.

“The obsession with growth at any price is a huge mistake.

“You don’t get growth by trashing the planning system, whether it’s environmental protections or densities.”

He continued: “This is the real problem we have with the Government’s attitude – they have misread the situation in terms of what we need to do to get decent growth in our cities.

“Stripping away the historic planning controls which we’ve enjoyed as councillors is absolutely wrong.

“I say that as a Labour councillor obviously but you have to criticise your own Government when they get it so badly wrong.”

‘Back the builders, not the blockers’

The Government has said thousands more ‘good-quality’ homes need to be built in every region due to families being stuck in temporary accommodation and young people being locked out of home ownership.

It continued that the new measures would “pave the way for a stable, rules-based system where developments that meet clear standards can move quickly from plans to construction”.

“We owe it to the people of this country to do everything within our power to build the homes they deserve,” Mr Reed said.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves added: “For too long our economy has been held back by a housing system that slows growth, frustrates business, and prices the next generation out of a secure home.

“These reforms back the builders not the blockers, unlock investment and make it easier to build the 1.5 million new homes across every region”.

She said this would rebuild the foundations of the economy and make affordable homes a “reality for working people once again”.

The Government says it took action to overhaul the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) within weeks of entering office to “restore and raise” mandatory housing targets for councils.

Planning director at the Home Builders Federation, Catherine Williams, reacted to the latest proposals by saying: “The draft NPPF reinforces Government’s commitment to reforming the planning system and removing barriers to homebuilding, retaining a clear focus on sustainable development while protecting the natural environment."

Key revisions to the planning rules include:

• A default ‘yes’ to suitable homes being built around rail stations, alongside minimum housing density rules.

• Providing the same ‘yes’ to new homes building upwards in towns and cities, fast-tracking development schemes that meet high standards for well-designed homes.

• Making it easier for developers – particularly SME builders – to build higher density housing, such as modern apartments and flats, on smaller sites and under-used land where appropriate.

• Streamlining standards on energy efficiency and Biodiversity Net Gain to give builders certainty on plans for new homes.

• Encouraging a more diverse mix of housing, such as rural affordable homes and accessible homes for older people and those with disabilities, providing certainty for developers to meet the housing need of every group across local communities.

• New builds to include nature-friendly features, such as installing swift bricks, to support wildlife.

• Preferential treatment for developments that strengthen local economies and provide new services, including shops, leisure facilities, and food production.