Insurance News Archive
Planning proposals may lead to urban sprawl, say MPs
A report by MPs has highlighted the importance of redevelopment of brownfield sites in order to avoid urban sprawl and the further 'hollowing out' of inner city areas.
In the report published today, the all-party Commons Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Select Committee criticised current plans to relax local authority powers on planning regulations, saying that this "could result in urban sprawl and undermine regeneration efforts in established urban centres".
In addition, the MPs raised concerns about the pressure that extensive development plans would have on infrastructure and set out the need to ensure high environmental standards in building and incentives for existing infrastructure upgrades.
Stewart Lilly, president elect at the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), told the Press Association: "The report accurately states that existing housing supply is not enough to meet current and future demand.
"This may sound simple and obvious but getting planning and infrastructure in place prior to building new homes is vital to solving the housing shortage effectively.
"However, to get this right, you need to be able to stand back and look at the whole picture, rather than evaluating each part individually. This is what the planners and local government have been getting wrong to date," he added.
Critics say the proposed reforms will move power for planning decisions away from local authorities to central government, where concerns for increasing housing availability across the country will take precedence over local environmental issues.
20 Jun 2006
