Fantastic news! Last night the government conceded to
pressure from parliamentarians and the public on a range of key planning
issues we’ve been campaigning on for years [1].
These wins are a huge victory for the countryside, including:
- An abandoning of damaging, centralised mandatory housing targets
that have led to needless, unaffordable and poorly designed greenfield
developments, in favour of an advisory system that takes local character
and need into account
- An end to landbanking – the practice developers
use to sit on land they have acquired permission for while it accrues in
value - a huge cause of the lack of housing being actually built
- Stronger regulation of the short-term holiday lets market
that’s been crippling many rural communities – from greater council tax
charges to a new registration scheme for holiday lets
- Local authorities given greater powers to promote brownfield development, and a wider review into brownfield development
These and other successes will be built into the Levelling Up and
Regeneration Bill, currently going through parliament. They are the result of years of campaigning and research that you have been a central part of, culminating in an unstoppable backbench rebellion that saw the government cave in to our demands.
Today is a day the countryside, and the communities living within it, can breathe a sigh of relief.
But from local democracy to rural affordable housing, nature protection
to the climate emergency, there’s still a lot of work to do to truly
ensure the Levelling Up Bill truly creates a planning system that has
people, the countryside and the climate at its heart.
With the next debate on the Bill expected within the coming week, can you help by donating to this critical campaign today?
In the past two years, we’ve been working extremely closely with lead
backbench rebels Theresa Villiers and Bob Seely, ensuring they were
able to make the strongest possible case to the government.
Likewise, we have – and will be - working closely with the Labour
frontbench and supportive Peers in the House of Lords to ensure critical
amendments on issues such as environmental protection, climate change
and permitted development rights (that bypass usual planning processes)
are carried through in the final Bill.
This victory has shown that together, we can make a difference. But
I'll be honest with you, we don’t have the resources of larger charities
- we’re only as strong as the support you can give us.
Can you help us at this crucial time by making a donation today?
Thanks for
all your help so far. With the fast-paced environment we’re operating
in, we’ll be in touch very soon with future actions you can take.
All the best,
Mark
Mark Robinson
Campaigns Officer | CPRE The countryside charity
