With the dust settling on the recent local and mayoral elections, and the General Election announced for 4th July, even the most optimistic Conservative voter is resigned to the reality that by the end of the year the country will be run by a new Labour government.
A change in government will inevitably result in policy changes, and planning appears to be at the top of the list of Labour’s priorities.
Labour Leader Keir Starmer stated that a planning reform was the first of five policy areas prioritised within his agenda of national renewal. Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves described the current planning system as antiquated, stating that Labour would undertake “a once in a generation set of reforms” that would help to “accelerate the building of critical infrastructure for energy, transport and housing”. Labour seeks to put a planning reform at the very centre of its economic policy. The Shadow Chancellor described how Labour’s vision for growth would be underpinned by the three pillars of:
· stability, achieved through monetary policy and financial regulation;
· investment into infrastructure and the green economy; and
· reformof planning and the labour market.
Reeves’ withering description of the current planning system as the single greatest obstacle to the country’s economic success, constricting the growth of its most productive places, is one that most planners would subscribe to without hesitation. Housing is prevented from being built where it is most needed. Consequently, house prices are rising, while rates of home ownership are falling. Reeve’s therefore promises that the Labour Party will put planning reform at the very centre of its economic and political argument.
Such grand statements from opposition parties hardly pose a novelty in the world of planning and politics. Nevertheless, political change offers the opportunity for much needed practical change, so what are Labour committing to, and will anything change if they are elected?
The details of Labour’s manifesto have not yet been published. However, the following commitments have been made publicly by Labour to try and address some of the challenges currently facing the planning system:
1. Labour promise to build 1.5 million homes over the five-year parliamentary period. This is pretty much identical with the Conservative’s current commitment to build 300,000 homes per year over the same period.
2. Labour plan to introduce ‘planning passports’ to ‘fast-track’ housing approvals on urban brownfield sites. A rebranding of the existing policy approach to prioritise brownfield land for redevelopment as set out in the NPPF.
3. Reintroducing mandatary local housing targets. This measure will simply revert to a position which was in place just a few months ago, before the Conservatives removed the requirement in their recent update of the NPPF.
4. Labour announced they will bring forward a new generation of New Towns. No details or locations have been provided, but it is difficult to see how this is any different from the Conservatives’ commitment to create ‘New Garden Communities’ back in 2017, which have been slow to progress. New Towns are a long-term strategy, which will require long term commitment, the results of which will not be seen for many years to come.
5. Under the banner of ‘Investing in People’, Labour has committed to hiring 300 new planning officers across the country to support the public sector and expedite planning decisions. There is no doubt that council planning departments are severely under-staffed and under-funded, however, this commitment would equate to less than one additional planning officer per council. While a laudable sentiment, to create lasting improvements within the public sector, much more investment is needed.
Looking at the above commitments through the lens of realism, one must admit they are a little underwhelming. They are unlikely to result in any meaningful change. However, digging a little deeper, Labour have made other commitments which have the potential to result in positive change:
1. Labour created headlines when noting that some parts of the sacred Green Belt might be better defined as Grey Belt. Keir Starmer pledged that a Labour government would permit the development of low-quality green belt, such as disused car parks or dreary wastelands. The Grey Belt could help prioritise new housing development on currently underutilised land. Planning restrictions on brownfield land within the existing Green Belt look set to be watered down to facilitate development and growth, particularly where a site is located near a settlement edge or has direct access to public transport.
2. Labour has promised to “unleash” Regional/City Mayors, by way of a package of devolution powers, to enable them to have more control over planning and housing investment. Could this herald the return of regional planning, as it is still in place in London? Investment will be focussed on the country’s major cities, ensuring an increasingly joined up approach to planning and decision making in those areas.
3. Labour have promised an urgent review of all national policy statements and a fast-track planning route for priority infrastructure projects. This includes updating all national policy statements relevant to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects within the first six months in government. The challenge of delivering national infrastructure is huge, but if successful, this could unlock significant investment and future growth.
A new government brings with it hope for much needed practical change. While Labour acknowledges that change is necessary, the problems with the planning system run deep and their initial commitments appear underwhelming and unlikely to result in major change.
However, a new government is likely to bring a period of much needed stability. If a new Labour government is elected, it is important that changes in policy and approach are made in the early stages of their term to set a platform and clear direction for reform. The persistent changes to policy and legislation that have characterised the last few years have only added to undermine the planning system, resulting in delays and inconsistent decision making. In the current political and economic climate, stability and clear direction are essential for planning system. LPAs need to be given the confidence to progress with Local Plans and proactively deliver new homes and jobs, while attracting much needed growth and investment into our communities.