Will Tories rebel against Johnson’s contentious planning reforms, which helped swing the Chesham and Amersham by-election in the Lib Dems favour?
In a vote in the House of Commons today – Monday June 21 – Labour is giving Tory MPs the chance to kill off the government’s much-loathed planning reforms.
Dubbed as the ‘developers’ charter,’ the reforms would see more homes being built in rural areas, as the government hands control of the property planning system to wealthy developers.
The right to object to developments
In today’s Opposition Day Debate motion, Labour is pushing to curtail such control by protecting the rights of communities to object to inappropriate developments. The motion would also enable locals to have a real say in shaping their local area.
The developers’ charter would allow for a new zoning system, based on enabling developers to build at their will in areas designated for growth.
Communities would only be consulted during the early stages of a development. They would also be suppressed from expressing any view over individual planning applications.
Under the charter, residents would lose their right to any say or influence over plans to build on local green spaces or in quiet residential areas.
Planning proposals a major issue in Chesham and Amersham by-election
The issue of planning permission and opposition to what has been labelled by Labour as the government’s ‘developers’ charter, seemed to have swung last week’s Chesham and Amersham by-election in the Lib Dems favour.
A poll shows that fears about the Government’s planning reforms and the contentious developers charter, was a major factor in the Conservatives’ Chesham and Amersham by-election upset.
Government’s cosy relationship with developers
Despite planning reforms seemingly bulldozing Conservative support, the government maintains a cosy relation with developers.
In the first year of Boris Johnson’s premiership, the Conservative Party received £11 million in donations from developers. In the first three months of 2021 alone, the Party received £891,000 from developers.
In 2020, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick was wrapped up in a planning application controversy, having been found to have unlawfully approved an application to save a wealthy Tory Party donor tens of millions of pound in tax.
‘Selling out on communities’
The contentious charter has created a backlash, with Labour and campaigners warning that the proposals would undermine local democracy by removing residents’ right to be heard.
Steve Reed MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, said the Tories are “selling out communities to pay back the developers who increasingly bankroll their party.”
“Good development can only happen when developers and communities work together, but the developers’ charter will gag local residents from having their say. Developers will be set loose to bulldoze and concrete over neighbourhoods and green spaces at will.
“Voters have shown Conservative MPs what they think of the developers’ charter. Those MPs now have the chance to join Labour in voting to kill off these perverse reforms once and for all,” said Reed.
At the expense of democratic accountability
Twittersphere has been littered with opposition to the government’s contentious planning reforms. Dan Norris, Labour’s West of England Metro Mayor, tweeted:
“People in the west of England must keep their rights to object to planning applications. I’m all in favour of making the planning system cheaper and more efficient but not at the expense of democratic accountability.”
Paul Burnham, housing and planning researcher, noted how the issue of planning was at the forefront of the Tories’ Chesham and Amersham by-election defeat.
“Good to see planning (i.e. the Tory #developerscharter) kicking its ways into the by-election scene”, wrote Burnham.
Sentiment shared by Steve Reed, who tweeted: “Chesham voters show how deeply unpopular the Govt’s planning reforms are – looking forward to Labour’s Commons debate on Monday demanding Conservatives drop plans to gag local people & hand planning to the big developers who increasingly fund their party.”
The opposition-day motion is not able to officially bind the government. If there is a sizable Tory rebellion, it will however put Johnson under pressure to rethink planning strategies.
Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead is a freelance journalist and contributing editor to Left Foot Forward.
To reach hundreds of thousands of new readers and to make the biggest impact we can in the next general election, we need to grow our donor base substantially.
That's why in 2024, we are seeking to generate 150 additional regular donors to support Left Foot Forward's work.
We still need another 124 people to donate to hit the target. You can help. Donate today.