The statement by the new Minister that the Coalition’s policies on development have brought great happiness to many people was based on two surveys: one of 3,000 people in 2010 and another of 1,000 people in 2013.
Minister … straws … clutching.
Perhaps it was a note Boles had left in his office!
Dear [Daily Telegraph] Editor,
This morning’s headline story (Minister: Nimbys have had their day – 26 July) in the Daily Telegraph beggars belief!
What on earth will it take to get the current government, and Brandon Lewis in particular, to wake up and smell the abject disbelief amongst the rural community in particular that “people now have a greater say in where housing goes”. A survey of only 3000 people in 2010 compared with a similar one of only 1000 in 2013 certainly does NOT compare with the responses registered with Community Voice on Planning (www.covop.org) and is remarkably thin evidence upon which to trumpet the progress of national government policy. If ministers quote from such a small sample it only serves to reinforce what the community has been saying for years – our ministers’ dogmatic presumptions hold sway in spite of the real world situation they are attempting to govern.
Those of us who have raised the uncontrolled inappropriate development rush issue – for in practice that is EXACTLY what it is at present, are NOT against development per se. What we are infuriated over is the repeated examples of poor strategic planning by local authorities. This is exacerbated by blatant exploitation of land-banking by developers – invariably on the easiest of development land, ie green spaces, who then make all sorts of promises of affordable home provision to gain outline planning permission only to renege subsequently by pleading non-viability once permission is gained and requisite infrastructure costs imposed; local authorities then invariably buckle under threat of legal costs of appeal and the developers get their way.
Construction of the open market houses doesn’t begin until the developer feels like it and the 5 year housing supply doesn’t get updated until they do. This leads to more applications while the going is good and infrastructure improvements to support any of this cannot be funded until the houses are built.
The community has NO say in this process yet it gives our blinkered politicians a warm and cuddly feeling that everything is going well! Oh really?
Paul S G Adams MBE
Vice-Chairman
DefeND North Devon
Brandon Lewis seems to be taking the mantle of his predecessor, Nick Boles, with ease. He says that “communities that once opposed housing developments now support them because of the Coalition’s planning reforms” according to the front page, headline in today’s Daily Telegraph. He went on to give figures from a survey which appears to show that more communities are prepared to accept more housing.
However, see here for a different take on this article from the National Trust:
… “However the comments risk causing anger in the countryside where the Coalition’s reforms have triggered a huge surge in planning applications for new house building – Many communities across the country are fighting plans for new housing estates imposed by councils that have to meet new five year housing targets under the reforms.”
http://www.nationalheadlines.co.uk/new-planning-minister-suggests-nimbys-have-had-their-day/420666/
East Devon Watch 