Leeds City Council report attacks government planning reforms
Leeds City Council has sharply criticised the government’s planning reforms, warning that they could lead to increased development on green field sites and the green belt “regardless of the wishes of local people”.
A report by the local authority also expressed concern at:
- A potential reduction in the ability of local planning authorities to control development
- A failure to recognise the regeneration challenges faced by major cities like Leeds
- A lack of clarity in how the presumption in favour of sustainable development is defined, “making it difficult to demonstrate that planning applications are unacceptable”
- A lack of clarity and consistency throughout the draft framework
- A risk that developers will prioritise more profitable green field sites over previously developed and brown field sites
“As a city made up of many different settlements, each with their own distinct character, it is really important that local communities in Leeds have a say in how development takes place,” the authority said. “This top-down national framework could undermine the role local people have in the planning system.”
Leeds also pointed out that under the proposed framework councils would have to allocate an additional 20% of land towards housing supply than under existing rules. This increase is combined with the refusal to allow student housing and “windfall” housing – housing that has not been planned but is built on land that unexpectedly becomes available – to count towards new housing quotas.
The report argued that if implemented, these changes would “put the council under increasing pressure to build on green field and green belt sites”.
Cllr Richard Lewis, Leeds’ executive board member for development and economy, said: “We have a strong and diverse economy in Leeds and part of our success has been that we have been able to develop that while protecting the city’s heritage and its green spaces. That means having a balanced approach to planning which takes into account economic, social and environmental considerations.
“We want to be able to continue that work in the future. As they stand these proposals will take much of that control away from us and make it harder for us to develop the city in the way we would like.”
Lewis added that if the government was serious about localism, it would support local decision making “instead of making it harder for local people to have their say”.
