Conservative councillors in Northumberland have voiced strong opposition to the Government's proposed planning reforms, warning that the changes could strip local representatives of their decision-making power and transfer it to Whitehall officials. Under Labour's plans, a greater number of "routine" planning applications would be decided by planning officers, guided by local and national policies, rather than by elected councillors.
Modernising Planning Committees
The Government intends to "modernise" the role of local planning committees, encouraging them to focus on "contentious" applications where "local democratic oversight is required." While the Government acknowledges that local committees have an "integral role," it insists they must operate as "effectively as possible." This would be enforced through a National Scheme of Delegation, set by the Government, aimed at providing "clarity and consistency" on which applications are decided by officers and which go to committee.
Concerns Over Local Democracy
Coun Guy Renner-Thompson, chairman of Northumberland Conservatives, expressed deep concern that the reforms would make it harder for councillors to bring controversial applications to committee. He stated: "One of the most important roles of a local councillor is representing the views of residents when planning decisions are made. People rightly expect that the councillors they elect will have a meaningful say over developments in their area."
He added: "Labour's reforms risk hollowing out that democratic process. Instead of decisions being made by local people through their elected representatives, more power will be concentrated in Whitehall and placed in the hands of planning inspectors operating many miles away from the communities affected. This is not just a planning issue. It is a local democracy issue. If residents feel their views can simply be overridden by nationally imposed targets and centrally driven policies, confidence in the planning system will be damaged."
Impact on Northumberland
The Conservatives fear that the reforms could have a significant impact on Northumberland, a county with diverse communities. Coun Renner-Thompson emphasised: "Northumberland's villages are not empty spaces on a planner's map. They are communities with their own character, history and infrastructure constraints. We need more homes, especially affordable homes for local people, but those homes must be delivered in partnership with communities, not imposed upon them."
He continued: "Local planning committees exist for a reason. They bring local knowledge, local accountability and local democracy into the planning process. Communities along the Northumberland coast have worked incredibly hard to develop neighbourhood plans and policies that protect village sustainability and support local residents. Those efforts should be respected, not undermined by a more centralised planning system. Northumberland Conservatives believe decisions about Northumberland should be made in Northumberland wherever possible. We will continue to stand up for local democracy and oppose attempts to weaken the voice of local communities in the planning process."
Labour's Response
Northumberland Labour leader Coun Scott Dickinson criticised the Tory administration for failing to utilise existing planning powers. He said: "The council has the ability to set the local plan and identify the land and set policies around the mix of housing such as affordable homes, affordable rent and shared ownership. Northumberland hasn't pulled its finger out for the last few years and exercised the powers it has to get the houses local people need."
He added: "They have had these powers for a long time and they should've been using them. This is the opportunity to redraw the plan, identify brownfield land and match it to areas where there are empty school places, and where infrastructure can cope. For example, we have had 2,000 new homes in Amble with no investment in infrastructure, no investment in a proper shared ownership system or the rental system - nothing that supports local people. Amble has been hollowed out by second homes and holiday homes, so local people have no chance of getting on the ladder. I think their whinging is all political. They are just doing this for some of their voters, who don't want to see any new homes at all."
Local Context
The council is currently working on a revised local plan, which will set out how development will be permitted over the next two decades. This follows a significant rise in the county's housing target imposed by central Government. According to a council report in March, empty places in the county's schools topped 12,000 due to low birth rates, while the number of older people continues to rise. The Haydon Bridge partnership of schools, covering a huge rural area, has a 50% surplus rate, while the Berwick partnership is at around 30%.
Much new housebuilding in recent years has taken place in the south east of the county. While there have been complaints about infrastructure in Amble, the council has invested £50 million in local education, including more than £35 million on a new high school for the town.
