The Conservative Government has announced that they wish to see a streamlined planning system, that would bypass local Planning Authorities, like Bolton. They argue that by removing planning requirement from certain types of permission, it will help the housebuilding industry.

Cllr Richard Silvester, Labours Housing and Planning Spokesman, said “It’s a ridiculous notion that planning regulations are a barrier to housebuilding. The fact is that 9 in 10 planning applications are approved. In addition, there is planning permission for more than a million homes, nationally, that have not been built. Often this is because of associated land de-contamination issues.”

Cllr Silvester is backing the calls from such organisations as the Campaign to Protect Rural England, the Town and Country Planning Association and the Institute of Historic Building Conservation who say that the proposals will allow builders to ride roughshod over communities.  They are calling for the Government to “keep planning in England local to ensure people have a say over development in their communities.”

Cllr Silvester added “Under the Conservative proposals, the Council could be by-passed with a new streamlined system and a reduced consultation period with neighbours being  missed out completely. Instead of removing the requirement for accountable permission, and attacking local democracy, the Government should instead provide new de-contamination funding to help developers build on brown field land to help save our green spaces.”