Rayner housing blitz will flood Britain with ‘soulless settlements', Tories say

Telegraph

2 days ago

Labour will create 'soulless settlements' and encourage urban sprawl with its plans to overhaul the planning system, the shadow housing minister has said.
Kevin Hollinrake said that Angela Rayner's plans will strip local residents of power over their own communities, and risks the proliferation of ugly 'cookie-cutter homes'.
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which returns to the Commons this week, aims to speed up planning decisions in part by stripping local authorities of some decision-making powers.
Labour plans to build 1.5 million new homes over the course of this Parliament, which they say will be possible in part with construction on poor-quality green belt, dubbed 'grey belt'.
The Government has also reintroduced mandatory housing targets, totalling 370,000 homes a year, for local authorities.
The Conservatives claim that the new legislation lacks sufficient protections for the character of England's smaller towns and villages, which could end up merging into the areas with the new settlements.
'Must build homes people want'
Writing in The Telegraph, Mr Hollinrake said that the Bill 'starts by blatantly encouraging urban sprawl, increasing housing targets for councils outside of towns and cities whilst easing targets for cities like London'.
He said: 'This will just create new, soulless settlements, take away our green belt, and make residents feel trapped and isolated hours away from their friends, work, and the amenities they need.'
The shadow housing secretary also pointed to the Government scrapping the Office for Place, which was founded to devise how to make attractive and well-designed housing.
'Without the Office for Place, there is nothing protecting communities from the bland, cookie-cutter houses that foster isolation.
'One and a half million new homes is an admirable ambition, but it means nothing if you don't build the communities and homes people actually want.'
'We are taking decisive action'
The Tories have tabled an amendment designed to enshrine in law the preservation of the historic character of historic villages and prevent them from merging with other settlements.
The legislation will also see more powers given to Natural England, a quango, which will be tasked with drawing up 'environmental delivery plans' for new proposed developments.
But Mr Hollinrake said that the organisation is 'grossly underprepared for such a nationally significant mission' and risks 'wasting taxpayers' money in the process'.
A Government spokesman said: 'We completely reject these claims, which simply do not acknowledge the scale of the housing crisis [we] inherited.
'Through our Planning and Infrastructure Bill, along with our wider reforms, we are taking decisive action to speed up every stage of the planning process and deliver the homes and infrastructure we need.
'The Bill creates a win-win for nature recovery and development, including a new Nature Restoration Fund, which unblocks building by funding large scale protection of precious habitats and species.'
Labour isn't creating greener, cleaner communities you're proud to be a part of – Conservatives are
by Kevin Hollinrake
Every person in Britain deserves a place they can call home. A community they can be proud to return to after a hard day's work.
One that is safe, connected and prosperous, embodying the green and pleasant land that our nation should stand for. Without this, we cease to be a united community and a United Kingdom.
We have forgotten this. Our communities have never been more divided. Never felt more hopeless and isolated. And people are crying out for change. We cannot afford to fail them.
Labour doesn't understand this. And, as the Planning and Infrastructure Bill returns to Parliament, it clear to see.
In its current state, the Bill will encourage isolation and break up communities. It won't connect or empower people. It won't help nature flourish or build beautiful houses that people are proud to call home.
It starts by blatantly encouraging urban sprawl, increasing housing targets for councils outside of towns and cities whilst easing targets for cities like London.
This will just create new, soulless settlements, take away our green belt, and make residents feel trapped and isolated hours away from their friends, work, and the amenities they need.
'Labour doesn't care for creating beautiful communities'
Instead, we should be gently densifying our existing towns and cities to resurrect lost communities.
This requires beautiful new homes and developments that bring nature and the life it brings back into the hearts of our towns and cities. Look at some of the most beautiful parts of our great cities, like Marylebone in London, with mid-rise, six-storey mansion blocks. No one would complain if this beautiful architecture were repeated elsewhere.
But Labour showed it doesn't care for creating beautiful, connected communities when they shut the Office for Place. With Nicholas Boys Smith at the helm, it made sure new developments focused on building beautiful, green and connected communities.
Without the Office for Place, there is nothing protecting communities from the bland, cookie-cutter houses that foster isolation. One and a half million new homes is an admirable ambition, but it means nothing if you don't build the communities and homes people actually want.
Building beautiful also means reviving nature within communities, and that starts by empowering local residents. They know what they need, not mandarins in Whitehall.
But once again, Labour doesn't understand how to revive lost communities. For generations, Labour has wanted weak communities dependent on the state, and this continues today. They are stripping local communities of autonomy by backtracking on their promise to slash quangos and putting taxpayers' money and the responsibility of local nature in the hands of Natural England.
Natural England is grossly underprepared for such a nationally significant mission. And we have seen too many times centrally controlled quangos struggle with the basics whilst wasting taxpayers' money in the process.
'Conservative MPs are taking action'
To its credit, at least Labour's Bill will bring some good news for smaller house builders. Cutting and simplifying planning and biodiversity red tape will make it much easier for them to compete with the volume house builders.
That is why Conservative MPs are taking action, amending this Bill to ensure Britain gets the empowered, connected and beautiful communities you deserve.
Whether it is David Simmonds – my fellow shadow minister for housing, communities and local government – enshrining the right to preserve the special character of historic villages and preventing them from merging with other towns. Or encouraging more sustainable drainage so we have cleaner rivers and communities.
Or Rebecca Smith, MP for South West Devon, and her amendment to end ridiculous red tape on creating ponds, empowering local communities to breathe life into local nature whilst protecting their areas from drought and flooding.
Or Aphra Brandreth – a former councillor and now MP for Chester South and Eddisbury – whose amendment will make it easier for local communities to plant more trees, creating a greener, more pleasant environment.
That is just to mention a few, because my colleagues have been working tirelessly to hold Labour to account.
We rightly lost the last election because we failed to listen to the British people and deliver on their priorities. There is a long road to regaining your trust – we know that.
But in opposition, we are taking the fight to Labour and delivering for Britain. We are listening. And with our amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, we will deliver a more connected, prosperous and greener country that you can once again feel proud to be part of.