There is an argument that the current Planning Bill might end up becoming one of the most important pieces of legislation passed in this Parliament. In England there is a housing crisis meaning there is a lack of affordable housing while prices continue to soar. According to the government the root of the problem is the planning system and that is what the Bill is looking to solve.

Without going into too much of the details, the new planning regime would establish what is known as a zonal system whereby local authorities would designate all of the land within their area into one of three categories:

• Growth – Suitable for development with all plans that meet certain criteria getting automatic approval.
• Renewal – Suitable for limited development.
• Protection – Development is restricted.

Changing things in such a fundamental way is bound to provoke debate. Zonal systems might be used in most other Western societies but does that automatically make them a good thing for England? On the one hand it would most likely speed things up but losing some of the discretion inherent in the current system might be harmful in its own way.

Opposition to the Bill comes from a range of sources. Tom Fyans, the campaigns and policy director of the Campaign to Protect Rural England said in a statement:

“The Planning Bill looks set to prioritise developers’ needs over local communities, provide no new environmental safeguards and could slow the delivery of genuinely affordable homes in many areas.”

Meanwhile within Parliament there is pushback from a growing number of Tory MPs alongside the Labour Party who tweeted this out earlier today:

When it comes to analysing this debate, one of the key things that it is important to be aware of is the language that is used.

Talk around ‘communities’ or ‘residents’ is coded language referring to ‘homeowners’ who, more often than not, are voters. Deliberately ignored in the conversation are those who live in rented accommodation and are more likely to be younger, from a poorer background, and non-voters.

Changes that would make planning laws more flexible are also a threat to house prices and are therefore opposed by homeowners. Retaining the current system is therefore an easy vote winner but it ignores the wider needs of the community. And when I use the word ‘community’ there it is in reference to everyone who lives in a given area, not just those who have a mortgage.

Of course this doesn’t mean planning law should just be a free-for-all and blocks of flats should just start popping up here, there and everywhere. Consideration of factors such as local conditions and environmental concerns still have an important role to play but they should be a hurdle, not a roadblock.