Michael Gove says he intends to publish “robust league tables” of planning departments in England to embarrass those who a “drag their feet” when it comes to processing housing applications.
In a speech at the Royal Institute of British Architects in central London, the secretary of state for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said, “In many parts of the country, there is a resistance to new development.”
He said: “We will publish league tables revealing the real performance of local planning authorities, the speed with which they respond, the level of approvals, their delivery against targets. We will ensure that these tables reflect how the system is gamed at moment by some.”
Mr. Gove said the tables would also identify good practice and reward those planning departments who were excelling.
Mr. Gove told The Times: “There is now no excuse for not having a (local) plan in place and no excuse for not making sure that planning applications are dealt with in a timely fashion. There is no excuse for the arbitrary refusal of planning permissions. Delay, no. Denial, no.”
But in his speech he said he would also give councils more power to block building on green belt land.
150,000 Homes Planned for Cambridge Area
The housing secretary also announced plans to build 150,000 new homes in and around Cambridge, setting up a potential clash with those who want to protect the countryside.Mr. Gove said: “Nowhere is the future being shaped more decisively than in Cambridge. Its global leadership in life sciences and tech is a huge national asset. But until now, as I pointed out, its growth has been constrained.”
“Delivering our vision means laying the groundwork for the long term and that starts now. We will establish a new development corporation with a broadly-based board to steer its efforts. These we will arm with the right leadership and the full range of powers necessary to marshal this huge project over the next two decades,” he said.
The government will create a development agency which will have the power to compulsorily purchase land around Cambridge for housing.
Mr. Gove also believes the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is not doing enough to build homes in the capital.
Mr. Rowley told LBC: “We have a long-standing concern that London is not delivering as many houses as it could do, and we think that the mayor is not helping in that instance.”
On Tuesday, Mr. Khan, who faces an election in May 2024, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, “Oh dear.. the Tories are desperately trying to distract from their catastrophic housing record.”
Labour: Gove Speech is a ‘Smokescreen’
Tom Copley, London’s deputy mayor for Housing, wrote on X: “Michael Gove has capitulated to Tory backbenchers by allowing their councils to wriggle out of housing targets.“The fact that Theresa Villiers, who has made blocking new homes a personal crusade, has endorsed his plans speaks for itself. His speech today is just a smokescreen.”
In July, Mr Gove—backed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak—said the bulk of Britain’s new homes should be built in major cities, in contrast with Labour’s promise to build in the green belt.
On Tuesday, Labour’s deputy leader and shadow housing secretary Angela Rayner said: “Michael Gove’s latest announcement is truly through the looking glass. Despite all this tough talk, he and Rishi Sunak have stripped away every measure that would get shovels in the ground and houses built to appease their backbenchers.”
“We simply can’t be expected to believe that the government will take the steps necessary to get the homes built that Britain desperately needs,” she added.
The deputy speaker of the House of Commons, Dame Eleanor Laing, later accused Mr. Gove of breaching parliamentary protocol by telling journalists of his plans before MPs.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Dame Eleanor said: “The secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities held a televised press conference just after 12 o’clock today, while this House was sitting.”
She said: “It is not a trivial matter. Two hours ago a senior secretary of state made an important policy announcement on television and now the minister, I place no blame upon the minister we welcome him here to the house, the minister is here two hours later. This is a gross discourtesy to this house.”
