MPs have voted 306 to 174 to approve the Planning and Infrastructure Bill at its third reading in the House of Commons, with housing minister Mathew Pennycook saying it had been ‘a real privilege’ to take the ‘crucial piece of legislation through the House’.
But the bill drew fierce criticism from opponents during the Commons debate, with claims that changes to planning rules ‘drove a coach and horses through accountability’ and could ‘fundamentally and irrevocably’ alter the character of towns and villages.
Speaking during the debate, Pennycook said the ‘landmark’ bill ‘will get Britain building again, unleash economic growth, and deliver on the promise of national renewal’.
“It is critical in helping the Government to achieve their ambitious plan for change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in England during the current Parliament, to making planning decisions on at least 150 major economic infrastructure projects, and to supporting the clean power 2030 target and transforming Britain into a clean energy superpower.”
However, Tory MP Kevin Hollinrake, the shadow secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities said the bill is ‘flawed’, ‘dangerous’ and ‘risks eroding trust in the planning system’. He added:
“Make no mistake: what is being proposed could fundamentally and irrevocably alter the character of our towns, our villages and the green and pleasant land that makes Britain what it is.”
He continued:
“We need homes for first-time buyers, for young families, for key workers and for the next generation, but we need the right homes in the right places, shaped by the right principles. Instead, we are being offered a top-down model driven by arbitrary targets and central diktat. The result is soulless settlements, identikit developments and rows of uninspiring concrete boxes that bear no relation to the history, the heritage or the hopes of the communities they are built in.”
Shadow minister Wendy Morton agreed, and said the bill is a wasted opportunity.
“What we have ended up with is legislation that drives a coach and horses through accountability. It seeks to steamroll over local people and to concrete over our precious green belt. It gives local people no rights, no voice and no say over how their communities are shaped for the future.”
Pennycook acknowledged proposed planning reforms were controversial but said they are ‘absolutely necessary’ to introduce certainty and clarity into the decision-making process. He added:
“It will always be possible for the most serious and controversial applications to come before elected members, just as it should be the case that they take decisions on the most significant applications.”
The bill will be debated in the House of Lords over the coming weeks, with no date yet set for the first reading. However, David Smith, partner at London law firm Spector Constant & Williams, said it was likely to be fast-tracked before the summer recess. He added:
“For developers and infrastructure providers, the message is clear: change is coming – and soon.”
