Suffolk councillors urge government to change mind over planning system shake-up

More than 50 Suffolk councillors have urged the government to rethink its controversial proposals to overhaul the planning system.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England, along with thousands of councillors across the country and some 53 in Suffolk, have today called on the housing secretary Robert Jenrick to abandon parts of the government’s changes to the planning system.

Signatories to the letter included Cllr Rachel Hood, who sits on both West Suffolk and Suffolk county councils, Ipswich Borough Council member Sarah Barber, Cllr Caroline Topping at East Suffolk Council, and Cllr Dave Busby at Babergh District Council, who are amongst those calling for the government to change its mind.

They have warned the shake up of the planning system will undermine the trust that the public has in the planning system and ‘could radically reduce protections for nature, local green spaces and fail to tackle climate change’.

Crispin Truman, chief executive of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, said it was not too late for the government to rethink its ‘controversial upheaval of the planning system’.

“Planning done well can create the affordable and well-designed homes that communities are crying out for. We can create low carbon and nature friendly homes, with an abundance of green space on their doorsteps, all connected by low carbon public transport. Investing in a locally-led democratic planning system, that empowers local councils to create these places, should be the government’s top priority,” he said.

“We stand with these councillors in urging Ministers to work with us to develop and deliver a better set of planning reforms that can actually deliver our country’s environmental, economic and social objectives.”

The proposed changes of the planning system would be the biggest since 1947, and they have already drawn criticism from backbench MPs with more than half considering opposing the Planning White Paper.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “These concerns are entirely unfounded and demonstrate a misunderstanding of our proposals. Our reforms to the planning system will protect our cherished countryside and green spaces for generations to come.

“The proposals will put local democracy at the heart of the planning process, enabling Green Belt decisions to remain with councils and giving communities real influence over development location and design.”

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