Councils across England are resisting government directives to approve housing developments, undermining Labour’s target of 1.5 million new homes by the end of the parliament, according to a Sky News investigation.
Planning Application Rejected Despite Ministerial Approval
Last week, Three Rivers District Council northwest of London rejected a proposal for 256 new homes, despite Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook explicitly instructing approval 24 hours earlier. The planning committee voted 10 to 0 against the application, citing concerns over green belt impact, flooding risks, and loss of hedgerows. This decision contrasted with the council’s own planning officer who recommended approval, describing the site as “grey belt” and concluding the benefits outweighed adverse landscape impacts.
Burlington Property Group, the developer behind the project, called the rejection “a declaration of war” on the government’s housing policy and urged the minister to exercise powers to override the council’s refusal.
Investigation Reveals High Costs from ‘Unreasonable’ Council Decisions
Sky News used Freedom of Information requests over four months to compile the first league table of English councils with a high number of planning decisions overturned for “unreasonable” reasons, resulting in more than £20 million in cost penalties since 2019. Cornwall, North Yorkshire, and Bromley councils topped the list with 40, 38, and 27 unreasonable decisions, respectively. Over 100 councils did not fully disclose data, and there is no central government repository for these statistics.
Government Struggles to Enforce Housing Targets Amid Political Sensitivities
The government passed the Planning and Infrastructure Act in February to streamline approvals, but critics argue it retains too many barriers for councils to block developments. Ministers are reportedly planning a more forceful intervention after local elections in May but are cautious not to alienate voters opposing new housing in their communities. Discussions around a second planning bill have reportedly been shelved due to political difficulties ahead of the next general election.
The growing disconnect between ministerial directives and local council decisions casts doubt on Labour’s ability to meet its ambitious homebuilding target.
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