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More than 50% of Conservative backbenchers consider opposing planning reforms, survey shows
More than half of Conservative MPs sitting on the backbenches are considering voting against the proposals being put forward as part of the government’s Planning White Paper, a survey of 40 Conservative MPs has shown.
Of the 40 Conservative backbenchers surveyed as part of research commissioned by the national countryside charity CPRE, 55% said they were considering opposing the proposals. These include introducing a new zonal planning system, where planning permission would be automatically granted in designated growth areas.
The plans could see local residents lose the right to comment on individual planning applications, with the government instead looking to increase resident engagement at the local plan-making stage.
However, 88% of the backbench MPs surveyed said they believe that local people should have a say over specific planning applications and specific development sites in their community. Meanwhile nearly two-thirds (63%) of the MPs quizzed said they believe the government’s proposals will result in increased pressure to build homes on green space close to where people live.
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A number of prominent Conservative MPs have publicly criticised the government’s Planning White Paper, including former prime minister Theresa May, who said that the government’s plan to introduce a new method of calculating housing need was “ill conceived”.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) recently confirmed that the government was planning to revise this part of the white paper following a wave of criticism.
CPRE has previously hit out at the government’s planning reforms after it carried out research that revealed there is enough brownfield land in England for 1.3 million homes, of which more than half a million already have planning permission.
Critics have also suggested that the Planning White Paper does not go far enough in tackling climate change, as it includes no mention of the role planning can play in encouraging zero-carbon development.
Of the 40 Conservative backbenchers surveyed, nearly half (48%) said the government should set a more ambitious target for new homes to be zero carbon.
Commenting on the research, Crispin Truman, chief executive of CPRE, said: “It’s clear the government needs to get back in touch with its own MPs.
“In the face of a national lockdown, protecting and enhancing countryside and green space close to where people live has never been more important.
“From Cornwall to Carlisle, MPs, local councillors, communities and CPRE groups are raising the alarm and the message is clear – dismantling the planning system will not deliver thriving countryside communities, more homes people can afford to live in and greater access to green space.
“However, it is encouraging to see ministers are in listening mode and we urge them to go beyond quick-fix changes to the housing algorithm, to make sure that people, nature and the countryside are at the heart of the planning system.
“To avoid pitting local communities and MPs against the government, we must cement the voice of local people in these planning proposals, protect and enhance local green space and ensure that the duty for developers to build social homes is upheld.
“In the face of grave challenges, we’re calling on ministers to take this opportunity to review key elements of the planning proposals, learn the lessons of lockdown and deliver the homes and places that support healthy, vibrant communities.”
An MHCLG spokesperson said: “These concerns are unfounded. Our much-needed reforms to the outdated planning system protect green spaces and will create beautiful and well-designed communities, with green spaces and tree-lined streets as the norm – with a bigger role for local consent.
“The proposals will put local democracy at the heart of the planning process, allowing communities to exert real influence over both the location and design of development.”
