Angela Rayner (Image: Getty)
Anegla Rayner is to declare war on “NIMBYs” with radical changes to stop residents blocking new developments including housing.
The Deputy Prime Minister will take decisions out of the hands of local council planning committees, which she says are responsible for “unacceptable delays” and hold back economic growth.
The change is designed to ensure Labour succeeds in its goal of delivering 1.5 million homes as well as new factories, solar farms, roads and railway lines.
Planning committees involve local councillors and typically make decisions on proposed developments when local residents object to them. But Ms Rayner, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, is to change the rules so that more decisions can be made directly by council officials.
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She said: “Building more homes and infrastructure across the country means unblocking the clogged-up planning system that serves as a chokehold on growth. The government will deliver a sweeping overhaul of the creaking local planning committee system.
“Streamlining the approvals process by modernising local planning committees means tackling the chronic uncertainty and damaging delays that acts as a drag anchor on building the homes people desperately need.
“Grasping the nettle of planning committee reform and fast-tracking decision-making is a vital part of our Plan for Change. Building 1.5 million homes over five years means tackling the housing crisis we inherited head-on with bold action.”
Proposed developments will be fast-tracked if they comply with local plans drawn up by councils. These set out broad targets, such as building more homes, and identify areas suitable for development.
Local plans must in turn comply with the National Policy Framework set out by the Government. The last national framework was published by the Conservative government in December 2023 but Ms Rayner will produce a new one next week making it clear that councils have to build more homes.
The reforms are set to place the Government on collision course with local councillors angry at being denied a role in decision-making. Labour has overall control of 73 authorities in England and Wales, more than any other party.
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A Planning and Infrastructure Bill will enshrine the changes in law next year following a consultation.
Ms Rayner said the Government will spend ￡5 billion on housing next year and will also make decisions on at least 150 major industrial projects before the next election. These are expected to include wind farms and solar power stations as well as giant factories used to manufacture batteries used in electric vehicles, known as gigafactories.
A gigafactory near Sunderland created by battery manufacturer AESC in partnership with carmaker Nissan is the size of 23 football pitches and will employ 1,000 people when fully operational next year.