Decision Details

Motion H

Proposer: Councillor Cory


This Council notes the publication of the Planning White Paper Planning for the Future and expresses its concerns about the proposals it contains.

Current planning laws are already in favour of development with 90% of planning applications approved and approximately one million unbuilt permissions sitting with developers nationwide. Proposals outlined in the Planning White Paper Planning for the Future further distances local residents and local democracy from the planning process.
 
This Council therefore resolves to object to any potential detrimental national and local planning policies and calls on our three MPs representing Colchester Borough to support the following consultation responses:

• Diminishing local input: The proposals contained within the White Paper risk diminishing the role of planning authorities, planning committee members and ward councillors. Automatic permission granted in “growth areas” and permission in principle in “renewal areas, give no democratic oversight of local development;

• Sites already have permission: The million sites nationwide currently in the system with existing planning permissions for houses that have not yet been built, or even started to be built, along with the high proportion of planning applications that are agreed, are a clear sign that the planning process is not a barrier to development;

• Give Local Authorities, Parish, Town and Community Councils more power and resources: While the current planning system is not perfect this is at least in part due to reductions in central government funding to local planning authorities which have, in turn, led to local authorities reducing expenditure on planning services. Such reductions have affected both the processing of planning applications and enforcement activities;

• Targets for Affordable Housing must be met: Strengthen our hand in providing affordable housing and reform viability assessment criteria that allow developers to get away without providing adequate affordable housing.

• Net-zero Carbon development needed now: Implement a much earlier target for net-zero carbon standards for new build-housing. 2050 is too late, investment must be given to enable net-zero building from now on;

• Contributions must benefit communities not developers: The ‘nationalisation’ of the level of developer contributions could assist large national developers at the expense of local communities. Faster is not always better when local community infrastructure requires thoughtful development. Proposals must encourage the use of local, small and medium developers, as well as self-build;

• Neighbourhood Plans: Neighbourhood Plans are an effective tool for the community to shape local areas, including local infrastructure, services and housing. They must be supported and strengthened in any future planning reforms. 

In addition to making these points to the government, we ask that our three MPs support Colchester Borough Council’s ‘Planning for the Future: White Paper August 2020’ Consultation response.

As the motion relates to a non-executive matter it will be debated and determined at the meeting.