Government planning reforms could end up creating “slums of the future”, says Cleckheaton councillor

That’s the fear of a leading Liberal Democrat on Kirklees Council, who sharply criticised Government proposals to speed up building by giving “permission in principle” to developments on land designated “for growth, renewal or protection”.

The government would also replace existing Section 106 agreements and the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) – which pay for improvements and infrastructure such as school places, GP surgeries and highways – with a national charge.

Coun John Lawson (Cleckheaton) said “sketchy” proposals to overhaul the planning system as outlined in a new White Paper signalled “a disastrous future for local authorities everywhere”.

His comments at a meeting of the council’s decision-making Cabinet (Oct 23) were echoed by Labour members, who variously said the reforms were “a threat to local democracy”, “a developer’s charter” and effectively meant the removal of “the democratic voice”.

Coun Lawson said notice needed to be taken of the depth of local knowledge provided by residents who may have lived on their street for 50 years, and which could be lost under the new proposals.

And he cautioned that there was value in the relationship between the council and residents, as well as the nature of trust.

He said: “As an upper tier authority we deliver other core services. We’re seen as a whole. We are not seen just as a planning service. If engagement in one service is compromised – or that credibility is compromised – with the public, it can bleed out into the other services.

“That can irrevocably damage the relationship between the authority and the public.”

He also raised the issue of retrospective planning, which he said was “often abused”, and of completed new developments being signed off by the National House Building Council, which he likened to “the industry marking its own homework”.

As a parting shot he described the White Paper as “unfinished”.

Coun Viv Kendrick (Heckmondwike) said the Government was seeking to disenfranchise councils such as Kirklees from being able to properly represent people in the borough. She called it “the opposite of democracy”.

Coun Graham Turner (Denby Dale) described the proposed reforms as “rushed legislation” that had been drawn up “on the back of a fag packet”, adding, “Rushed legislation is always bad legislation”.

Coun Cathy Scott (Dewsbury East) said the proposals “seem like a paper in its infancy”.

She added: “These reforms are going to take away the democratic voice of the people, the communities, the local authorities and their elected members.

“They are proposing to give the power back to the centre. That is when we will no longer have our voices. It’s worrying me.

In these areas [where] they have identified growth, they would automatically be granted outline planning permission for a principle of a development – automatic approval of pre-established development sites in other areas.

“This opens it up. No need to submit any further planning or tests whether the site should be approved or not. It’s happening. So your concerns would not be listened to. You will not have a voice.”

She noted that the CIL was to be replaced with a national fund, which she dubbed a NIL. And she asked how funds for local roads and infrastructure would be apportioned in future – and what would happen if there wasn’t enough to give back to local authorities such as Kirklees.

Speaking after the meeting Coun Lawson said: “The Conservatives’ Planning White Paper signals a disastrous future for local authorities everywhere.

“The basic democratic nature of our planning system is being attacked. The proposals whittle away the rights of residents and councillors to have their say.

“We need to object strongly to this now because it’ll be too late when these applications start landing on our doorsteps. We won’t have a voice then.

“The White Paper is fundamentally flawed because it starts from the wrong assumption that authorities are the bottleneck in the process.

“The proposed wholesale streamlining and granting of outline permissions can only lead to the development of the poorest quality houses. Kirklees Liberal Democrats reject these slums of the future.”

No Conservative, Green or Independent councillors spoke at the meeting.