Michael Gove is considering a serious of concessions over housing and planning policy to calm a growing rebellion over the Levelling Up Bill.
The levelling up secretary is looking at measures to make it harder to convert new properties into holiday homes, a “use it or lose it” clause for planning permissions, a new residents’ right to appeal and incentives to encourage brownfield-first development.
The measures are intended as a sop to the more than 60 Conservative MPs now supporting amendments to the government’s flagship bill, which have been tabled by former environment secretary Theresa Villiers.
However, Gove is resisting the rebels’ central demand to allow local authorities to ban all greenfield developments other than in “exceptional circumstances”. This, ministers say, would make it impossible for the government to meet its promise to build 300,000 homes a year.
