Planning laws are not a 'blocker to new homes', National Trust warns Government
The National Trust has warned the Government over the reform to planning laws, saying it is a "mistake" to consider the rules a "blocker to new homes".
Calling on the Government to protect Conservation Areas, Director General Hilary McGrady said the restrictions are an opportunity to make places work for everyone and any changes to them need to be good for "growth, heritage and environment".
A bill representing the biggest shake up of planning laws in decades will be pledged in the Queen’s Speech on Tuesday, as part of a concerted drive to boost housebuilding.
The country will be divided into "growth" zones - where automatic planning approval will be given to homes, schools, hospitals, shops and offices - or “protection” zones, where development will be restricted but not ruled out.
The planning bill is one of around 25 new laws the Government will pledge to bring forward in the next year, including legislation to better integrate health and social care, to crack down on crime, and to create a new environmental watchdog and set fresh biodiversity targets.
Bills to boost educational opportunities for older adults, introduce eight low-tax freeports, and create a new state aid regime to channel cash to struggling industries will also be promised as part of Boris Johnson’s aim to "level up" the country.
Writing in The Telegraph, Ms McGrady said the bill needed to protect everything from "distinctive historic high-street shops to open landscapes and countryside".
"The planning system is the most important tool that we have for shaping our physical environment. It is a mistake to characterise it as simply a blocker to new homes, growth and development in general," she writes.
As well as considering housing and employment she has called on the Government to consider the impacts of climate change as they use the opportunity to build a "more effective" system.
The Trust recently clashed with the Government over its extension to permitted development rights, which allows homeowners to fast track extensions and frees up developers to turn business buildings into flats.
Ms McGrady said that it was “worrying” that the previous relaxation of the rules also applied to Conservation Areas, adding: "We hope that this is not a sign of things to come, and that instead the Government grasps the opportunity to invest in planning that’s good for growth, heritage and the environment, meeting the needs of this generation and the next."
She said that the National Trust will be "closely scrutinising" the bill and will offer to work with ministers on it.
'The stakes are high and reforms need to be carefully considered'
By Hilary McGrady
This has been an extraordinary year for all of us. While the pandemic has overtaken so many parts of our lives, it has also given people time to take stock. For the National Trust it has been a vivid reminder of how vital people’s everyday connections to beauty, nature and history are to our sense of wellbeing.
The ability to escape to local parks, countryside and green spaces has been an absolute lifeline for so many. And now we’re greatly looking forward to welcoming people back to our historic houses, many of which reopen on 17 May. We know how much all of these places mean to people – to connect with friends and family, get fresh air, feel inspired, and to escape and recharge in these extraordinary times.
As the nation turns an eye to the future, it’s vital that any green shoots of recovery are supported by deep roots. This means paying far more attention to the quality of the environment on our doorsteps - in every street, town, village, suburb and city. Well planned and built places ensure we can see trees through our windows, find wildlife in our gardens and parks, and ground our lives in the shared heritage that surrounds us.
The planning system is the most important tool that we have for shaping our physical environment. It is a mistake to characterise it as simply a blocker to new homes, growth and development in general.
Our planning system needs to work hard for everyone in every community. It must work at a range of scales, from protecting distinctive historic high-street shops to open landscapes and countryside. It needs to help us adapt to the impacts of climate change, and restore our ecosystems at the same time as delivering the housing, employment and infrastructure that our communities need. It needs to help us take the long view to make decisions which work now and for the future.
Our current planning system has served us well, but there is room for improvement. The Planning Bill that has been announced in this week’s Queen’s Speech offers ministers the opportunity to deliver a more effective system that delivers well-designed development and infrastructure in the right places, safeguards and provides access to nature, and enhances and conserves our historic environment - creating great places to live for everyone’s benefit.
The stakes are high, and reforms need to be carefully considered. Poor quality housing, lack of access to green space or poorly designed neighbourhoods harm our physical and mental health – which is why we were disappointed that the Government recently extended permitted development rights, and removed powers from councils to prevent business premises being turned into unsustainable, poorly designed housing. Worryingly, these changes apply even in Conservation Areas, where extra care should be taken to safeguard local history and beauty.
We hope that this is not a sign of things to come, and that instead the Government grasps the opportunity to invest in planning that’s good for growth, heritage and the environment, meeting the needs of this generation and the next. We will be closely scrutinising the Planning Bill when it arrives and stand ready to work with Government to ensure that it is the best Bill it can be.
