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Prescott Threatens Planners With Intervention Over Housing Targets

LONDON-Deputy Prime Minister stepped up the pressure on planners to permit more housing development, and he raised the prospect of converting more commercial land to residential use to meet housing need.

By Graham Parker | Updated on April 09, 2003

LONDON-The planning system needs a culture change if the Government is to meet its targets for providing new homes, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said at the New Agenda for British Housing Conference yesterday.

“Planning authorities should see their job not just as operating the planning system,” he said, “but also making sure that they meet their house-building targets. I don’t want to paint all planning authorities with the same brush, but there has to be culture change. The provision of housing is vital to us all, so I will be asking the Audit Commission to assess the performance of authorities in delivering the right sort of housing, in the right quantities and the right places.”

And he warned that action will be taken against local authorities that do not comply. “I also intend to take action when planning authorities are not delivering on the targets for dealing with planning applications – and will intervene when necessary. We can’t be in a situation where major housing developments are being held back – where planning becomes part of the problem, rather than part of the solution.”

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