Government to hand councils new powers to block planning permission

Councils are to be given powers to block planning permissions from developers who have failed to deliver homes on the same site – in a bid to speed up work.

Builders will also be forced to report annually to councils on the rate of build out of sites, under new planning amendments to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill tabled by the government on Friday. The amendments come amid political concern about perceived land-banking and slow build-out rates by major developers.

Ministers said the raft of amendments, which also included clauses designed to bring forward street votes and enact ministers’ plans to force water companies to improve wastewater facilities, will help regenerate communities and deliver on the missions in the levelling up white paper.

The amendments follow housing secretary Michael Gove last week setting out a series of new principles he wants developments to adhere to, under the acronym “Biden”, standing for: Beauty; Infrastructure; Democracy; Environment; Neighbourhoods.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) said in a statement the amendments will follow the “Biden” principles”.

Housing minister Lucy Frazer MP said: “The measures we are setting out today will put protecting the environment at the heart of our plans, while bringing forward much needed new homes across the country.

“We will make sure that new development is surrounded by the right infrastructure and that local people are given an opportunity to shape their neighbourhood.”

The department did not say in detail how the amendments around encouraging developer build out would work, but in a statement said they were designed to “tackle slow build out by developers to make sure much needed new homes are delivered”.

The statement said the amendment proposed that developers will “have to report annually to councils on their progress and councils will have new powers to block planning proposals from builders who have failed to deliver on the same land”.

Previously, housebuilders have argued when similar such measures have been proposed that they would tend to reduce the number of homes being built, by making development more risky, and making it harder to adapt developments to new economic situations.