Michael Gove has been slapped down by No 10 for saying that hitting an “arbitrary” housebuilding target was less important than ensuring local residents welcome new development.
Downing Street insisted Boris Johnson was committed to building 300,000 homes a year after the housing secretary suggested the government’s target was leading to resentment among residents who saw ugly developments “plonked down” in their neighbourhoods.
But architects, councils and countryside campaigners have warned that Gove’s plan for street votes on development was “dangerously narrow” and would make housing even less affordable.
Councils are understood to have concerns that street votes will add complexity to the planning system and undermine the goal of local plans.
But developers and experts said Gove’s proposals amounted to “tinkering” that would not meaningfully boost housebuilding and opened up new ways for residents to block development.
Stewart Baseley, executive chair of the Home Builders Federation, a trade body, said: “Local engagement should be a cornerstone of good planning, but should not become a charter for nimbys.
“Government’s anti-development policy regime and rhetoric is in stark contrast to its public commitments to increase supply and help people find a decent home, and will inevitably exacerbate a deteriorating situation.”
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