Guido attended the right-of-centre pro-housing group Conservative YIMBY’s summer party last night, where the team launched a fresh set of proposals on planning reform. Shadow housing secretary Kevin Hollinrake was the only Tory MP in attendance. Earning him the title of “most YIMBY Tory MP” from the hosts…
Kevin told Guido that co-conspirators can expect to see clear housing commitments from the Conservatives at Conference. He said the Tory’s housing target was 300,000 new homes a year. The same target as Labour…
Conservative YIMBY chairman Simon Clarke told Guido the group is open to supporting both the Conservatives and Reform on housing policy. His advice to Kemi: “Be brave” when it comes to reforming the planning system. Read some of Conservative YIMBY’s policy proposals below:
1. End the NIMBY neighbourhood plan loophole.
Currently Neighbourhood Plans must only have “appropriate regard” to national planning policy. This allows well-heeled neighbourhoods to block new homes being planned in their area, which undermines central policy. To end this loophole, the Government should require Neighbourhood Plans to be consistent with the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and monitor it accordingly.
2. Immediately unblock housebuilding stalled by nutrient neutrality.
The Government’s reforms to the Habitats Regulations are well- intentioned, but they risk taking years to unblock stalled development. They also add another cost burden to development, likely to be thousands of pounds per home – there is a risk development is made unviable in some areas. To get building going now, the Government should instead bring back the proposals of the last administration to entirely remove the need for new developments to demonstrate nutrient neutrality.
3. Remove council blocks on commercial-residential conversions.
To immediately unblock the delivery of new homes in city and town centres where they are most needed, the Government should nullify all Article 4 directions set by councils that block the conversion of half empty offices, shops and other commercial buildings into much needed new homes.
4. Legal limits on the content and scope of strategic plans.
The Government’s new Spatial Development Strategies risk creating another regional layer of bureaucracy to the planning system, just as we have seen recently in London. The housing crisis won’t be solved by more planning, so legal limits should be placed on the extent of new regional plans. A legal requirement should also be made that each plan has a plain English summary so the public can see what’s being proposed in their area.
5. Get housebuilding going now on unviable housing schemes.
Where a developer can demonstrate they will start construction onsite within the next 12 months, the Government should either allow more homes to be built on the site at a higher density, or reduce their Affordable Housing site requirements by half or more. This would support construction now particularly in London where housebuilding has stalled.
6. Make evidence requirements proportionate.
An overarching statutory principle should be introduced across the whole of planning law stating that the evidence base should be proportionate to the decision in question. This should be applied to Environmental Impact Assessment and Habitats Regulations Assessment, reducing the volume of unnecessary paperwork.
7. Accelerate planning appeals.
The jurisdiction of planning appeals should be changed so they are not ‘de novo’ appeals considering all issues afresh, but focused exclusively on the Local Planning Authority’s reasons for refusal and whether they are well founded – i.e. it is no more and not less than an appeal against the reasons for refusal.
8. Unlock large multi-phase housing schemes.
Major material amendments to planning permissions should be allowed subject to them being justified by a proportionate evidence base.
9. Abolish Article 4
Article 4 directions are being abused by boroughs to block the conversion of underused commercial property into desperately needed new homes. This undermines flexibility, drives up costs and holds back adaptive reuse. The next London Plan should abolish all Article 4s related to residential conversion – freeing up the delivery of thousands of potential homes and giving developers greater certainty about what can be delivered.
10. Scrap Dual Aspect Requirements
London’s blanket requirement for dual-aspect homes significantly limits the efficiency and viability of new developments. While well- intentioned, it reduces usable floorspace, pushes up costs, and makes it harder to deliver mid-rise density on constrained urban sites. The policy should be reformed to allow well-designed single-aspect homes where appropriate, in line with international
best practice and building safety standards.
Red Wall Labour backbencher Jonathan Brash told GB News that Starmer should resign:
“I’m completely fed up about it, and I think it’s got to the point now where I genuinely think that, as far as the Prime Minister is concerned, it’s not a case of if, it’s when.”