Shakeup to the planning system could end planning restrictions on land currently zoned into areas

Construction minister Mark Prisk has said 鈥渂old steps鈥� will be taken in the Budget to bring 鈥渢ransitional change to mixed-use planning鈥� in a major shakeup to the planning system.

The move could end planning restrictions on land that is currently zoned into areas such as housing, commercial and residential.

Before the election the Conservatives said that they wanted to allow people to change the use-class of land without planning permission, partly because it acts as a hurdle to development. However, the coalition has not brought any changes forward so far.

The Tories said planning applications to change land use placed a huge burden of work on councils, which receive 30,000 change of use applications a year.

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