Simon Jenkins says campaigners will fight 鈥榠n every meadow鈥�
National Trust chairman Simon Jenkins has warned of 鈥渨ar鈥� between developers and countryside campaigners over new developments if both councils and housebuilders don鈥檛 change course.
Jenkins, speaking at the Home Builders鈥� Federation鈥檚 spring conference yesterday, said the current lack of robust plans in many local authorities could lead to an avalanche of legal action with developers taken to court over 鈥渆very meadow in the land鈥�.
Under the government鈥檚 National Planning Policy Framework, local authorities without an up-to-date plan will have to apply a 鈥減resumption in favour of development鈥� to speculative applications or be vulnerable to legal challenge by the developer.
Jenkins said that he agreed the country needed to build more homes, but that they should be effectively planned for. He said: 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 have a plan, and if developers then rush in, the result will not be that you can let rip with development. You鈥檒l be taken to court in every meadow in the land.
鈥淭he planning system is necessary. Where it stops, you get fights. And today, god knows, you鈥檝e got fights. It鈥檚 warfare out there.
鈥淸But] by going down the route of warfare, you鈥檒l get less land for building. I can鈥檛 believe that you [housebuilders] want this.鈥�
Jenkins used the example of Stow-in-the-Wold in the Cotswolds, where he said local residents were being forced to accept an increase in the size of their village within five years. He said: 鈥淭here has to be a way to some extent to get their consent for this, or you鈥檙e going to get resistance.鈥�
Malcolm Harris, chair of housebuilder Bovis, said Jenkins鈥� comments were 鈥渜uite naive鈥� because a planning system based entirely on localism would never deliver the necessary number of homes.
He said: 鈥淲e can鈥檛 just rely on local people voting for new housing, we have to say that it is required nationally. In my experience even on a small scheme people will fight to the bitter end.鈥�
No comments yet