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Planning shake-up ‘paused’ as Gove takes charge, reports say
Controversial government proposals to shake up the planning system have been paused, according to reports.
New housing secretary Michael Gove, who was appointed this week following a major cabinet reshuffle, is understood to want to address the concerns of disgruntled Conservative MPs.
The rumours were first reported by The Guardian, while the BBC said it has spoken to government sources. One insider told Inside Housing it was a “good source”.
The government’s planning proposals, as part of a white paper published last year, have caused anger among a string of high-profile MPs, including former prime minister Theresa May and ex-health secretary Jeremy Hunt.
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A new zoning system would mean that planning applications in an area classified as a “growth” zone would get an automatic go-ahead, leading to fears of greenfield developments. Labour branded the proposals a “developers’ charter”.
Some blamed the plans to pause the proposals on the Conservatives’ loss in the recent Chesham and Amersham by-election.
Reports late last year suggested the housing targets algorithm on which the reformed system would be based had been dropped, leading the government to say the formula was being “rebalanced”.
Responding to today’s news, Conservative backbencher Bob Seely, a prominent critic of the reforms, tweeted: “Glad that Michael Gove may be pausing planning reforms (if media reports correct). Very keen that he considers what I and other MPs have to say about how government should approach planning and housing.”
He added: “We need a new planning system that stops thoughtless development on greenfield sites.”
Fears have also been sparked in the social housing sector over plans in the white paper to abolish Section 106 agreements and replace them with a new infrastructure levy.
Joining Mr Gove at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is Neil O’Brien MP, who has been among the critics of the planning reforms.
In May this year, prime minister Boris Johnson appointed him to oversee the government’s levelling-up agenda. Mr O’Brien replaces Luke Hall as a junior minister at MHCLG, but his responsibilities have yet to be confirmed officially.
Mr Gove has also been charged with tackling the levelling-up agenda, a central plank of the Conservative Party’s election promise.
An MHCLG spokesperson declined to comment on reports that the planning reforms were being paused.
