North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson has called on developers to address the poor quality of some new build properties, as the Government launches a major review of planning & housebuilding.
A house purchase is the single biggest purchase a person will make, and Justin has hosted a number of public meetings in North Swindon with residents concerned about the poor quality of their new-build property.
The North Swindon MP's comments came as the Government launched a consultation on changes to planning law as part of efforts to build more high-quality homes for the future. The Goverment's proposed from reforms of the National Planning Policy Framework and Developer Contributions include:
- a standardised way of assessing local housing need, ending hours of debate and legal wrangling on the appropriate methodology;
- a Housing Delivery Test to hold local planning authorities to account for their role;
- reforming the plan-making system to ensure every part of the country produces, maintains and implements an up-to-date plan, and making the planning system more flexible; removing unnecessary duplication and giving local authorities the choice of where to set out their strategic planning policies – whether they are in a single plan, joint plan, or spatial development strategy;
- ensuring that key cross boundary matters are agreed up front by requiring all authorities to produce a Statement of Common Ground;
- confirming the important protection for neighbourhood plans introduced in December 2016;
- offer local planning authorities the opportunity to have their 5 year housing land supply agreed on an annual basis, reducing time spent on appeals based, saving both money and resources;
- boosting the housing opportunities of young people and first time buyers through a new ‘exceptions site’ policy;
- a new approach to testing viability - so developers and local communities are clear about the contributions associated with development and encouraging local authorities to set expectations in plans, with viability assessments only needed where development does not meet plan and then produced on basis of standard assumptions and presumed to be published;
- Reforms to developer contributions to reduce unnecessary barriers to development by lifting restrictions to pooling section 106 developer contributions, making it easier for local authorities to set Community Infrastructure Levy charging schedules, make it more market responsive, allow rates that more effectively capture the uplift in land value created by development, improve transparency and accountability and introduce a strategic infrastructure tariff to allow combined authorities and other strategic bodies to contribute to funding strategic infrastructure priorities.
- making it easier to convert underused retail and employment land or premises into housing;
- higher densities and better use of urban land to create new homes;
- ensuring that communities can influence the design of what gets built in there area; and
- making clear that Green Belt must be protected and that there are other areas that local authorities must pursue first, such as brownfield land and taking steps to increase density on urban sites, whilst enabling appropriate development on brownfield land within Green Belts.
Justin Tomlinson MP said: Many residents have raised concerns with me about the poor quality of their new build homes. I have organised public meetings on this, met with developers and yesterday I raised this in Parliament. A house purchase is the single biggest purchase we make and frankly some of the quality is a disgrace. During the Government consultation on changes to planning and development, I will be pushing for much stronger powers for recourse and action."
If you would like to respond to the Government's consultation you can do so via: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-planning-policy-framework-and-developer-contribution-consultations
Text of Justin's comments:
Justin Tomlinson (North Swindon): I welcome this ambitious and positive statement. We all have a role to play in allowing the next generation to benefit from the opportunity of home ownership, something my constituency takes very seriously. Does the Secretary of State agree that the developers have to do their bit, too? I am afraid that all too often the quality of new build homes is dreadful, and that puts people off.
Sajid Javid: First, I welcome my hon. Friend’s comments. I agree with him that there are too many cases of new developments where the quality is simply just not acceptable. I have seen, from hon. Members, too many examples of that. That is why, through the process of looking at house buying, we will be taking a very close interest in that.
