Lords committee flags concerns over planning reform

The government’s reforms to the planning system pose a risk to the country’s high streets and could lead to low-quality housing, a Lords select committee has warned. The ability of local authorities to shape their high streets could be reduced, potentially leading to a slew of restaurants, including fast food restaurants, the Lords Secondary legislation scrutiny committee has reported. This could impact on the health of local residents, while the reforms could also lead to the construction of low-quality housing, the committee concluded. It has recommended the House raise these issues with housing minister Robert Jenrick and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The committee also took umbrage at the way the MHCLG had gone about trying to change the planning legislation, noting that two amending instruments had to be speedily brought out after the unveiling of the new policy last month. “[It] suggests that the policies and drafting may not have been checked properly before laying,” the committee said, adding: “This is not an efficient way of legislating.” The committee added that it may have been better to put forward a future planning bill instead. To send feedback, e-mail louise.dransfield@egi.co.uk or tweet @DransfieldL or @estatesgazette