Plymouth council boss: we will fight planning change proposals
LABOUR councillors have vowed to fight Government moves to relax the planning system.
"We will resist any plans to take our powers away," Plymouth council leader Tudor Evans has warned.
The proposals, announced by the Government last week, will allow home owners to build an extension up to eight metres from the rear of their property – without seeking permission from council planners. They will also make it harder for the city council to stop developments it disapproves of.
They "are a set of ill thought out and incoherent plans", Mr Evans told a meeting of Plymouth City Council's Cabinet.
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He said that while the Government was talking about "localism", it was coming up with measures to take away local planning powers.
Last year 462 household applications were processed and determined in Plymouth and 54 of them were refused.
"We are talking about the economic saving of our city being done on the basis of selling 50 sets of patio doors," Mr Evans said.
He said the change would "set neighbour upon neighbour", and he promised to resist.
Mr Evans has asked Cllr Bill Stevens, chairman of the planning committee, to report on the implications and options for the council.
The Prime Minister last week announced a package of measures which he said would "get planners off people's backs".
Under temporary rules to be put in place next month, the limits on single-storey rear extensions and conservatories that can be built without planning permission will be doubled.
Loft conversions are excluded from the new rules, which apply only to single-storey extensions.
Ministers also said that they want to make it easier for developers to build new housing developments and other major projects.
They are to publish legislation proposing changes to the planning appeals system that will make it harder for residents to hold up developments.
Councils are also being encouraged to allow more building on green belt land.
"People will have no say if their neighbour wants to build something that completely blocks their light or is incredibly intrusive and not in keeping with how an area looks," Mr Evans said, adding that the Government should instead to do more to target developers who have permission but whose work has stalled.
"There are more than 6,200 plots in the city with planning permission but where work hasn't started or is incomplete. That is not planning getting in the way of progress. It appears that the new centrepiece of the Prime Minister's economic strategy is now to get everyone into more debt by getting them to build extensions and conservatories and converting their lofts."
Comments
by fazer58
Friday, September 14 2012, 11:39PM
“What powers are those Tudor? The power to sneak pollution belching incinerators on us,powers to sign dodgy contracts enabling chancers to close a public airport and build houses for profit on council owned land,or the powers that mean builders can compulsory purchase people's homes to knock them down?
Sorry Tudor,I'm not listening any more.The less powers Plymouth City Council have the safer the City will be.”
by mcspredder
Friday, September 14 2012, 10:12PM
“Taking stock of some of the monstrosities (or carbuncles) which have been erected with planning permission, it can hardly get any worse”
by 9ab3jdr622l
Friday, September 14 2012, 8:16PM
“Irene61
Rich of you talking about this Governments drive to promote growth within the economy when your Conservative ministers oppose it in their own constituencies at every given opportunity.
Perhaps you would like to explain why George Osborne was the FIRST to sign a petition against an energy-from-waste plant in his Cheshire constituency and Eric Pickles would not allow a composting site in his area either saying that "approval would open the doors for our county to become the waste dump of the South-East"
Time and again you continue to post such ridiculous drivel especially about the incinerator being built here and how it was a good decision for Plymouth and yet this "drive to promote growth" which also includes housing developments are refused when they happen to be in the backyards of these Ministers.”
by pogle063
Friday, September 14 2012, 12:35PM
“Tudor Evans ought to shut up and get on with sorting out that Monstrosity of an incinerator that the did very little to stop - which is now set to blight the homes of thousands of people.
If Evans had any real power they would do something about it but no - they just want to make sure they continue to have the power to bully the average citizen and make their lives miserable in the process.
I am all for it get rid of the unnecessary red tape and let people do what they need to without unnecessary interference.”
by beowulfonline
Friday, September 14 2012, 11:06AM
“@ irene61
Don't forget the massive contribution the bankers made to our present economic problems. Funny how the economy was growing before the coalition's policies plunged us into recession.”
by irene61
Friday, September 14 2012, 8:16AM
“rich of Evans talking about debt given the legacy of the Brown and Balls - were are still struggling with that. This is part of the Gov's drive to promote growth in the economy something that the Labour Council says it also wants to do. Mind you it's all talk and hot air so far”