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Study to call for planning change New planning process for England
(about 3 hours later)
A radical shake-up of the planning laws in England is expected to be the main recommendation of a report due out later on Tuesday. England needs a new national planning body to have the final say on major infrastructure projects such as power stations, a key report has said.
The review by economist Kate Barker is expected to call for an easing of planning regulations for new homes. The Barker Report also calls on local authorities to allow more building in green belt boundaries in their areas.
It is also expected to call for a new centralised planning system to handle major projects such as power stations. The study also says that England's planning system must be made both quicker and more simple, and the appeals process needs speeding up.
The British Property Federation said councils were no long able to deal with the complicated planning process. Environment groups have already voiced their opposition to the report.
'Difficult decisions' They fear it will lead to more construction on green belt land, and projects like airport extensions, motorways and new power stations being pushed through against local objections.
"Planning is all about reconciling irreconcilable differences and it actually needs strong-minded people - which should be local councillors - to take difficult decisions," said Liz Peace, chief executive of the British Property Federation, which is a trade association representing the industry. 'Least impact'
Ms Pearce said she feared some local councillors were ducking difficult planning decisions in the face of political pressures such as strong local opposition to a new housing scheme. Yet critics of the current planning system, especially companies, have long said the creation of a new national planning body is vital.
"The people who traditionally have been meant to take these very, very difficult decisions aren't really able to any more, which is why I think this idea of a planning commission will hopefully solve the problem," she said. Planning bodies should review their green belt boundaries to ensure they remain relevant and appropriate Barker Report
The government has committed to a new White Paper on planning in March that is expected to incorporate some of the Barker Review's recommendations. They argue that, at present, some local councillors are ducking difficult planning decisions in the face of political pressures, such as strong local opposition to a new housing scheme.
The report's key author, economist Kate Barker, points out that contrary to public perception just under 13.5% of England is actually developed, while the green belt surrounding cities covers almost 13% of the country.
"The land that can be developed with the least likely environmental or wider social impact is low-value agricultural land with little landscape quality and limited public access," says the report.
"Regional and local planning bodies should review their green belt boundaries to ensure they remain relevant and appropriate."
Yet it adds that a windfall tax on profits from the development of greenfield sites should come into effect after 2008.
The Barker Report further calls for the planning system to resume presumption in favour, meaning that an application should be approved unless there is strong reasons against it.
Kate Barker is a member of the Bank of England's interest rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee.
The report was commissioned by the Treasury.