Maria Miller MP welcomes that the Government is listening to the concerns of Basingstoke residents in announcements coming later today.
Maria said, ‘We have worked with Ministers to make sure Government plans are changed to better reflect the needs of local residents and local communities. Basingstoke has more than played its part in building new homes – at double the rate of other communities for more than 50 years. Our community needs time for local services, especially the NHS and social care, to catch up.
Working with other Conservative MPs, I have been pressing the Government to consider the actual needs of communities and to stop developers and house builders playing the system. The expected changes to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill are to include scrapping the 5-year land supply, removing changes to mandatory house-building targets, as well as better recognition of ‘special circumstances’ by the Housing Inspector. I want these changes to ensure we in Basingstoke are building homes for our residents needs rather than the needs of neighbouring authorities who have fallen short in building homes for their own residents. And I will continue to press the Government on the detail of these changes to ensure they achieve that goal.’
Maria hopes these amendments to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill will come to full fruition shortly, creating a planning system that respects the character of our communities.
Under the new announcements, centrally determined targets are set to be advisory, being used instead as a starting point. Councils should also be allowed to depart from the central determination of local housing need if there are genuine constraints on delivering it - for example if they would have to build at a density which would significantly change the character of an area to meet the target.
The measures strengthen the government’s commitment to building enough of the right homes in the right places with the right infrastructure, ensuring the environment is protected and giving local people a greater say on where and where not to place new development.
- Find the Government press release here: Communities put at heart of planning system as government strengthens Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)