Parties in Milton Keynes unite to condemn Government’s “Soviet handbook” planning proposals

All three political parties at Milton Keynes Council have united to slam Government proposals for the planning system.
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The Government announced in August that it wants to streamline the planning system by putting the focus on the creation of local plans, meaning applications would be approved almost automatically.

“This is one of the greatest crises facing us for decades,” said Cllr Sam Crooks (Lib Dem, Broughton) who worries that the city’s character is at risk.

He proposed a motion on the subject that was discussed at Wednesday’s full council.

Cllr Crooks added: “The present proposals will mean that – once we have designated areas for growth and specified design codes – we will have no further say in what happens in a growth area – which could be up to 30 years on a large development.

“The future of our city will pass from the council to Places for People or Crest Nicholson or L & Q or whoever for decades to come.”

He added: “Currently we have major fights over new proposals such as Milton Keynes East. But that is the nature of our democracy – it is how our residents achieve buy-in to their city.

“These proposals condemn them to no further say once the initial proposals are formulated.”

Cllr Sam CrooksCllr Sam Crooks
Cllr Sam Crooks

Tory planning guru Cllr John Bint (Broughton) urged other political groups to join them in also responding as parties.

“Developers are given permission to build, it’s not an obligation,” he said.

“And if they build them more slowly than we want then we get blamed for not having met our housing supply.”

He claimed that the White Paper doesn’t accept this is happening.

Cllr John BintCllr John Bint
Cllr John Bint

“It believes if you take councils out of the process then the housebuilders would suddenly build more houses and better houses and as a group we believe the opposite.

“Better homes come about not by weakening local authorities but by strengthening them.”

Lib Dem Cllr Paul Trendall claimed the proposals were a “developers’ charter” and said that permission has been granted for 16,000 homes but the developers aren’t building them.

“This is the nightmare of central Government control straight out of 1984 crossed with a Soviet handbook.”

Cllr Emily DarlingtonCllr Emily Darlington
Cllr Emily Darlington

Council leader Cllr Pete Marland (Lab, Wolverton) said he had some sympathy for developers who faced long delays in the system.

But he said that “councils are not the bar to delivery, but land banking is.” He claimed that the Government is incompetent in planning matters.

And Cllr Emily Darlington (Lab, Bletchley East), the cabinet member for housing and public realm said the proposals were also causing unease among parish councils worried about losing developer contributions.

She feared that additional permitted development rights could leave the council trying to mitigate issues between neighbours when they could do nothing under the proposals.

The council approved sending objections to the Government without dissent.

Cllr Alice Jenkins (Cons, Danesborough & Walton) withdrew from the debate after Cllr Crooks named one of her clients in his speech.

The Planning for the Future consultation is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/planning-for-the-future