Bucks Council warns Government changes could lead to more housing developments
Changes to planning policy emerging from central government could make it easier for developers to build homes, a senior councillor has warned.
Peter Strachan, Buckinghamshire Council’s cabinet member for planning, gave the update at the authority’s latest cabinet meeting. He said “significant changes” to planning policy are emerging from central government.
“The first of which is that it’s proposed that any applications for more than 150 houses be automatically referred to the Secretary of State,” Cllr Strachan said.
“There’s also a proposal to limit the size of planning committees. And also, the third thing is that it’s proposed that applications below a certain size of number are decided by delegated powers rather than by committee. All of these things are obviously to make it easier for developers to build houses.”
Council leader Steven Broadbent said the authority would keep an eye on the proposals and keep residents informed. The government is pushing a major housing surge to deliver 1.5 million homes this Parliament, marking the biggest planning overhaul in over a decade.
Key measures include mandatory housing targets for councils, increased “green belt” development, and a new £16 billion “National Housing Bank”.
It comes as a petition has been launched urging Buckinghamshire Council to protect green belt land and farmland across the county. The petition calls on the authority to “strengthen and uphold” policies protecting green belt land and “productive agricultural farmland.”