Cllr Richard Wright, the DCN’s planning spokesperson, has responded to the publication of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

“We want to see more of the homes and infrastructure that our communities so desperately need. There is lots to welcome in this new Bill: the reintroduction of strategic planning; reforms to compulsory purchase; and powers to set planning fees locally. These are all measures councils have long sought,” Cllr Wright said.

“However, it is disappointing that the Government has taken the retrograde step of curtailing the role of democratically elected councillors in the planning process.

“Democracy is not an optional extra – it’s the core component of an effective planning system.

“Residents should have a say over the future of their place through their local councillors – it’s why they vote for us.

“Planning committees are not blockers but enablers of planning permission. They approve the overwhelming majority of applications that come their way. Crucially, they add value by providing a forum for local voices to be heard, bring the community onside with new development in local areas and prevent poor quality development that stores up problems for the future.

“While the Bill focuses on speeding up the planning process, it is a missed opportunity. The biggest issue in the delivery of new homes is the fact that homes with planning permission are not being built out. Our councils approve nine out of ten applications they receive. Yet, in some of them less than half of the planning permissions granted get built. Nationally, it is estimated that 1.1 million homes with permission haven’t been built.

“We want the levers and powers to address stalled sites, including powers to set expiry dates on permission and powers to levy council tax on sites that haven’t been built after a specified period.

“We want to build 1.5 million homes for our residents, not grant 1.5 million planning permissions to inflate the value of land for private profit.”