Reaction to Planning Reforms

Daily Telegraph: "Campaigners hail a 'good day for anyone who cares about the countryside'"

Link to Daily Telegraph

"Campaigners said the rewritten version of the rules, which are now in force in England, contained 'important changes' to the draft document which attracted such criticism last summer, and allayed many of their concerns.

"The revised rule book was also welcomed by business groups and property developers, suggesting that attention will shift to how it is implemented by local planners."

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The Guardian: "Planning laws signal end of road for out-of-town shopping centres" 

Link to The Guardian

"In concessions to opponents of last year's draft document, the new framework stipulates that brownfield sites should usually be developed before greenfield sites, and town centres before out-of-town sites. It recognises the 'intrinsic value and beauty' of the wider countryside, specifically protects playing fields, and bars 'garden grabbing' for development.

"But answering MPs' questions after his statement, Clark went further in defining 'sustainable' when he said: 'It's not sustainable to have a shopping centre outside the town centre, it's not sustainable to build on green belt' – the protected land around urban centres intended to prevent suburban sprawl. Officials later said such developments should only go ahead in exceptional circumstances."

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From Monday:

Evening Standard: "It’s time to pull down the barriers to new housing" 

Link to Evening Standard

Rob Perrins, Berkeley Group: "It’s very hard to build new homes in Britain. So many people need them, but plenty of others mistrust the whole idea of development.

"New homes deliver the basic right of each person to shelter. They also create jobs: since 2009, in doubling the number of homes it built, Berkeley has also doubled its workforce, creating 6,000 jobs.

"Housing brings new investment and facilities to a neighbourhood. It also generates tax revenue and drives growth. Get the number of new homes up to 250,000 a year and that would add up to one per cent to GDP."