Boris Johnson is being urged by Tory MPs to reconsider his “electorally toxic” planning reforms which they blamed for last week’s surprise Chesham and Amersham by-election defeat.
The Liberal Democrats took the Buckinghamshire seat for the first time in its history, winning a majority of 8,028 over the Tories on a spectacular 25% swing.
Voters’ concerns over the prime minister’s liberalisation of planning laws were cited by Tory MPs and activists as the primary reason behind the defeat.
Johnson pledged to “transform the sclerotic planning system” in England after becoming prime minister. He has promised to force all councils to rewrite their local development blueprints and deliver 300,000 new homes a year by 2025.
As part of the plans to boost the supply of new build homes, every local authority will have to designate land for either development or preservation.
But while the reforms are supported by the majority of Conservative MPs in the north of England and Midlands, Johnson faces a rebellion from those in southern counties, including the former prime minister Theresa May.
The revolt, which is being organised by Theresa Villiers, the former environment secretary, is believed to include around 50 MPs.
While they are not opposed to more housebuilding, they do reject the proposed use of a computer algorithm to decide how many homes should be absorbed by each area.
Bob Seely, the MP for the Isle of Wight who opposes the proposed reforms, said the Chesham and Amersham by-election result showed that “a bad planning bill is now electorally toxic in Britain, therefore it is critical we get it right”.
He wants the algorithm re-examined and more consent given to individuals.
“Instead of a ‘developers’ charter’, we need a community-led solution. Communities are happy with more development when you give them a say in what is happening in their area,” he said.
The Lib Dems handed out anti-planning reform leaflets during the Chesham by-election, which clearly managed to resonate with voters.
The leaflets featured quotes from Theresa May and Iain Duncan Smith criticising the reforms.
Tory MP, Sir Roger Gale, says the by-election defeat was a “wake up call” for the prime minister amid a significant backbench rebellion over the plans.
He believes Johnson’s planning reforms have been left in “tatters” following last week’s result in Chesham and Amersham.
Gale told HuffPost that on Tory WhatsApp groups on Friday “the only thing anybody is talking about is planning”.
“The common theme is ‘me too, me too, me too’ – right across the south of England,” he said.
“They are worried about the policy,” he added. “But of course, they’ve got an eye on their re-election chances.”
Comments (15)
New migrants from outside the EU aren’t eligible for social housing except in very limited circumstances. EU migrants who are working are usually eligible, but because most don’t qualify. So migrants have no more right to a social home than people born in the UK and in most cases have far less chance of getting one.
However anyway the gap between supply and demand is so big that even if migration completely stopped, new housebuilding would still fall well short of what’s required. Foreign nationals only account for 8% of new lettings by social landlords.
One factor to bear in mind is that new housebuilding depends on EU migrant workers- 8% come from the EU and this is now much more of an issue with Brexit.
Remember C&A were not against house building they were against a computer algorithm that dictated the volume of homes in an area.
That’s what you think. It is not what is happening on the ground.
biffabear – I appreciate you think you know what is going on “on the ground” however from your comments I doubt you’ve worked in social housing before. Therefore I highly doubt you yourself know “whats happening on the ground”, you merely know from “your experience”.
From someone who’s actually worked in the social sector, Not Surprised is correct. However one thing to bear in mind where you are in the UK affects your perspective as the dispersion across the UK isn’t consistent i.e. London being the most notable for how many non-UK housing benefit applicants there are (because that is where all the work is).
Thats where the work is….
These people are not working!!!
I didn’t state 5.5 million non-UK migrants. I stated 5.5 million EU nationals most of whom are definitely not needed. They are now staying and housing has to be found for them. It is the whingeing Remainer NIMBYs that don’t want those houses near them. Well TOUGH you wanted mass cheap labour which is now being allowed to stay permanently in the UK. EU migrants weren’t needed and ard only here because idiot Blair flung open the borders. Not all of these are working. Many are now enjoying the Welfare State to it’s fullest extent and we all know who most of them are. There will be plenty of unemployed soon once furlough ends none of whom will wish to do those low waged jobs the EU migrants used to do. There are currently plenty of those on welfare to do most of the jobs required. .EU migrants have NEVER been the answer to the skills crisis. The UK education process produces dolts with useless degrees. Businesses refused to train workforces when they had access to cheap EU Labour. The classic now being insufficient HGV drivers. As a part-time lorry and coach driver wages now are the same as 10 years ago. No wonder there are driver shortages. The likes of Tesco etc should have been training their own drivers. They relied on agency drivers. No sympathy at all for businesses that find their job offers aren’t desired. If that means the business fails then so be it. It was never a viable business if based on cheap EU labour. But somehow the millions of immigrants need to be housed. This means building in the SE like it or not. The Tories have a real problem. If I was them I would introduce even more extreme penal measures to force even more LL out of business. Instant housing for OO. Nobody cares where homeless tenants will live. Govt is faced with many electorally damaging conundrums. Attacking the PRS will be something they continue to do. They don’t have much choice. They need LL properties for instant OO housing.
Tell me why Sudanese.and Somalis are on the top.of the queue followed by middle easterns
Before you start spouting statistics, please get the figures correct. There are approx 5.3M ‘non-British’ living in the UK, of which 2.9M are from Europe. There is actually very little unemplyment in the UK so those ‘immigrants’ have boosted the economy, provided healthcare in the NHS and care homes, are key workers across the UK…and they have to live somewhere.
Clearly you don’t get out and meet many of these people. My office is inundated daily with NON-UK people asking if we take housing benefit and has been for at least 10 years.
And?
Very little unemployment? Where did you get that idea? Also, those who are employed are seeking benefits as well.
How is this happening?
When you import 5.5 million EU nationals and let them stay plus admitting 143000 illegal economic migrants along with the the 2 million illegal immigrants already here plus allowing EU nationals to occupy 440000 social housing it is no wonder there is a housing shortage!!! These Remainer areas were all for MASS UNCONTROLLED IMMIGRATION but now they object to the housing in their backyard to house them all!! Remainers were all for cheap EU labour coming to the UK but it seems not so keen on housing them in their backyard! Total hypocrisy!
EXACTLY.
Thank you both for your xenophobia, however this isnt the right forum for it.
Back on track: They have a reasonable concern, the fact that a computer should not be making the decisions. In principle I agree, however having dealt with the beauocracy at local authority level I can say that their decision making process takes on average 50 million years (or at least it feels that way). Therefore while in principle I agree with them, in practice the deicision needs to be taken out of their hands to expedite the processess.
hahaha Woke.
There we go… straight away, a phobia accusation