NEW HOMES
LAND AND
the rationale behind its introduction. Reducing the size of the central state and returning power to communities is a core value of the Conservatives and empowering local government is a core value of the Liberal Democrats. Localism, as we understand it in late 2010, is a fusion between these core values, a combination of civic empowerment through strong and independent local governance and David Cameron’s Big Society agenda.
Eric PicklEs – localism chamPion Localism has found a champion in Eric Pickles, as demonstrated by the ruthless speed at which he has sought to drive through the decentralisation agenda since May. Most Secretaries of State seek to leave a defining footprint on their time in office, laying down a marker upon which to be judged and using their position to implement their distinct vision for their Department. What will Eric Pickles’ legacy be? My own view is that he will wish to be seen as the Secretary of State who gave away as much of his power as quickly as possible, returning decision making to local levels and giving back to local people direct accountability of how decisions are made within their local areas. One could be forgiven for asking how
this relates to development and the planning process. Well, the connection is that planning and development issues are, aside from cuts to local services, the most controversial and politically charged issues ever likely to come into councillor’s in tray. Does the onset of Localism really mean that development, and in particular house building, will grind to a halt in front of a rolling NIMBY bandwagon? We need to wait and see, though talk about Localism ushering in a period of Armageddon for the development industry is overstated. Councillors will hopefully be more willing to engage with developers in pre- application discussions alongside the behind-the-scenes role they have always played in discussions with officers.
UndErstanding thE Politics The key, now more than ever, is for the industry to understand the politics of an area far more than they have previously done. Too often developers have sought to win control of the ‘air war’ by using creative and slick PR without actually engaging in the ‘ground war’ and winning over those within a community who actually favour development. Many councillors are swayed by populist
representatives much earlier in the process, perhaps even at pre-purchase stage, to ascertain the likely challenges ahead. However, the critical thing to do is engage with the right people and simply not engage for engagement sake. The trick is to find allies and supporters, those who can influence local opinion in a favourable way in a far more credible way, rather than simply reply on the ‘Decide, Announce, Defend (DAD) principle of old. Consultation will become a statutory requirement of the planning process, and the risk is that if done badly it will be the criteria upon which an application could be refused if it were to be politically unpalatable. So the risks of skimping on the consultation process are the same as those for skimping on the transport assessment – it allows an easy escape route for members to reject a ‘difficult’ planning application.
Localism has found a champion in Eric Pickles, as demonstrated by the ruthless speed at which he has sought to drive through the decentralisation agenda since May.
opinions early on, yet in many cases the campaign groups formed barely have popular support, with a significant number, if not a clear majority, of local residents who are not swayed either way or actually in support. Yet their voices go unheard because they do not bother to articulate them and councillors believe that the views of the vocal minority are where they should ‘pin their colours’. The solution to this is clear – to engage with communities and their
nEW homEs: tEmPting rEvEnUEs So, the burning question – will it slow the development process? Well that depends upon where you are and who you are dealing with and it is important that both developers and councils should re-examine their approach... Councils will need to consider wider factors, such as the impact of the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) upon local government and will be forced to ask themselves “Do my residents really care more about fighting proposals for new homes on this brownfield site than they do about keeping their Council Tax as low as possible?” This will be the real game changer, not just Localism. In fact, I would suggest that it will be the CSR that will see the biggest shift in the stance of local authorities, and to an extent local communities, than the proposals contained with the Localism Bill. For many local authorities development
will come to be seen as a valuable income stream, and provide an edge in the new climate of local authorities and areas competing for resources, and by extension, economic growth. So, in councils and communities where development is currently seen as unnecessary there will have to be a more flexible approach, if they do not wish to lose out to neighbouring areas keen on delivering growth and prosperity. Of course, not all local areas will take this view, yet the focus must be to identify and engage with the ones who are ‘open for business’ in the literal sense. Or those who see regeneration and development as a means to provide
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