Planning and housing often divides opinion. Most people tend to agree that the UK needs more housing overall, with supply having not kept up with demand, making affordability increasingly difficult. However, there can often be fierce disagreements as to where new housing should be.
As councillors, when planning applications come forward, it can be very difficult for us to weigh up the need for housing with the concerns of existing residents. Councillors also have to decide if planning applications are in accordance with national planning rules and local planning policies. This can mean reluctantly granting planning permission for applications we don’t like, knowing they would otherwise be passed on appeal by the Planning Inspectorate.
Central government planning policy is key. A forced requirement for unrealistic housing numbers per local authority risks poor planning, with new building in locations that are unsuitable for a variety of reasons, often environmental.
There is a need to build more homes, but it is right that local communities have a say in the needs of their area. Therefore, I very much welcome that the Conservative Government will now replace mandatory targets for housebuilding in each local authority area, with advisory targets to guide decision making for local housing, as well as giving local communities more of a say.
The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill will empower local leaders to regenerate towns and cities, improve the planning process, and help to ensure new houses respect the character of their community, plus also hold irresponsible housing developers to account.
Scope for housing development within Crawley is limited once Forge Wood is completed, but we have seen developments on Crawley borders and see further unwelcome proposals being tacked on to our town’s borders. While we are consultees on such proposals, we’re not the decision makers. Neighbouring authorities with much larger land areas will now not be forced to take the very high numbers of new housing that was being planned. This has to be a step in the right direction for Crawley, in seeking to stop or reduce the scale of the massive west of Ifield housing proposals.
Councillor Duncan Crow, Leader of Crawley Borough Council Conservative Group
14th December 2022
