Ministers will promise tomorrow to end the “free for all” enjoyed by big developers by curtailing their powers and giving residents the right to dictate the style of any new development.
The bill will also give powers to local authorities to take over vacant premises and find tenants.
The measures will be contained in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, which is due to be announced as part of the Queen’s Speech tomorrow.
Under the proposed legislation, the government will pledge to consult local residents on “design codes” that will stipulate the standards that developments must meet.
Ministers will also examine how the Planning Inspectorate enforces local housing need targets. Areas that are constrained by green belt land or areas of natural beauty will no longer be expected to reach “unrealistic” targets if they can produce a plan that is “well evidenced and drawn up in good faith”.
The planning system will also gain a fast-track application category for small builders that will exempt them from certain planning fees to “level the playing field” with big developers.
In an interview, levelling up secretary Michael Gove said that Poundbury, the Dorchester urban extension built by the Prince of Wales, was the basis for the new policy.
