MPs began this week to challenge government proposals to scrap outline planning consent amid fears that if the move fails, the number of homes built will be restricted.
The challenge comes as the crucial Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill re-enters the House of Commons after being postponed before the summer recess.

MPs have tabled amendments asking the government to retract its proposal to replace outline planning consent with statements of development principles.

Housebuilders say they need the legal certainty given by outline consent before they will invest money in the schemes that are crucial to meeting the government's target of building one million homes in the South-east over the next decade.

Following this week's debate, the bill will spend two more days in a House of Commons committee next week before passing to the House of Lords.

The government also published two further planning policy statements this week, PPS11 and 12. They flesh out procedural details of how local councils and regional planners will apply the new bill.

The Chartered Institute of Housing, the National Housing Federation, the Royal Town Planning Institute and homelessness charity Shelter have teamed up to lobby government to ensure the new law facilitates links between the planning system and local housing policy.

Source

Housing Today