As Boris Johnson joins David Davis and Liam Fox in the most luxurious HMO in England, Sue Chadwick of Birketts looks at what changes might be in store in planning over the next few months.

1) Politics
Theresa May is a Prime Minister with plenty on her plate, but has placed housing right in its centre. Her speech in Birmingham on July 11 recognised the stress of mortgage worries and the need for new housebuilding and infrastructure projects.

But she also made it clear that the benefits of new housing “should be shared…with local people themselves.”

Two days later her first speech as Prime Minister once again noted the issue of mortgage worries and stressed that “The government I lead will be driven not by the interests of the privileged few, but by yours.”

There have been changes to government departments that may have planning implications.

Savid Javid is the new Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with a past that includes voting against an explicit requirement for environmental permits for hydraulic fracturing.

Gavin Barwell is the new Planning Minister and has already stated that the Government is “still committed to building a million new homes – including investment in affordable and intermediate rent, as well as shared ownership.”

2) Legislation
While the post-Brexit political world continues to occupy centre stage, in the background civil servants are quietly bringing the Housing and Planning Act 2016 into effect. Regulations published recently bring numerous planning -related provisions into effect – some now, and some in October.
Many of them give the Secretary of State (and the Mayor of London) more scope for intervening in plan making including the power:-

• To prepare a local development scheme and direct that it is brought into effect;  
• To direct suspension of a plan examination process and/or require plans to be submitted direct to the Secretary of State;
• Extended powers of intervention where a local authority are ‘failing’ in the preparation, revision or adoption of a development plan document;
• A new power for the Secretary of State to invite the Mayor of London or a combined authority to prepare a development plan document on behalf of another authority.

You can call Sue Chadwick on +44 (0)1223 326615 | +44 (0)7875 208376 or email her at: sue-chadwick [at] birketts.co.uk