New polling by the LGA has found that eight in 10 residents want to be able to have a say on all new homes built in their local community.
It found 82 per cent of respondents felt it was “very” (49 per cent) or “fairly” important to be able to comment on individual plans for all housing developments in their local area.
The polling comes ahead of wide-ranging proposals for planning reforms expected in a Planning Bill later this year, which would see larger areas ‘zoned’ for development.
The LGA has said it is vital that a local, democratically led planning system remains in place so local communities can continue to have their say on individual developments, and ensure the right homes are built in the right places, supported by the right infrastructure.
The LGA would also like to see the removal of permitted development rights, which, for example, allow offices to be converted to flats without planning permission.
The Government has moved to allay the negative impact on communities of permitted development rights by introducing space standards for new homes.
However, this does not address the standards of housing already delivered under permitted development, and concerns remain about the quality, design, safety and location of this type of housing.
Cllr David Renard, the LGA’s Housing and Planning Spokesperson, said: “Councils want to work with government to address the national housing shortage and develop the detail of its Planning Bill.
“However, as our polling shows, the overwhelming majority of local residents say it is important for them to be able to comment on all housing developments in their local area.
“People are rightly proud of where they live and so it is vital their voice can be heard whenever, for example, a developer wants to build homes in a neighbouring field or in their street.
“This is why it is critical that the Planning Bill ensures a locally led planning system remains in place, where communities have the power to shape and define the area they live in, street by street, and not just place by place.”
