North Yorkshire already has planning permission or land identified for around 40,000 new homes, it has emerged amid growing anger over Government-imposed housing targets.
Councillor Simon Myers told colleagues the scale of existing housing permissions and land allocations raised questions about the need to further restrict councillors’ involvement in planning decisions.
Speaking at North Yorkshire Council’s executive meeting on Tuesday, the executive member for culture, arts and housing warned that new national planning rules would reduce local democratic oversight, particularly in smaller rural communities.
Cllr Myers said there were already 29,000 homes with planning permission across North Yorkshire that had yet to be built, alongside sites identified in existing local plans with potential for thousands more.
He said:
“We have 29,000 homes with planning permission in North Yorkshire that have not yet been built, and another 12,000 sites identified in existing local plans where planning applications have not yet been submitted.
“If all those homes were built, we would have around 40,000 additional houses in North Yorkshire. We wouldn’t be worrying about housing waiting lists or the new housing targets imposed by the Government.”
The changes come amid growing controversy over Government housing targets requiring more than 4,000 new homes a year to be built in North Yorkshire.
The council’s difficulties in demonstrating a five-year housing land supply have further shifted the balance in favour of development, including on sites outside established development boundaries, prompting objections from communities concerned about the impact on local infrastructure and the character of their villages and towns.
The councillor’s comments came as the council considered changes to its constitution required under the Government’s new National Scheme of Delegation for Planning, which comes into force on October 31.
The changes will require certain planning applications to be determined by professional planning officers rather than elected councillors.
Other applications will only be referred to planning committees in exceptional circumstances, where a nominated councillor and planning officer agree that they raise significant local issues.
Cllr Myers said the changes appeared to reflect a belief in Whitehall that elected councillors were obstructing development.
He said:
“We have no means of changing the new scheme of delegation that’s been handed down by the Government.
“It seems to stem from a Whitehall view that local councillors stand in the way of development.
“That will be of no comfort to residents in North Yorkshire’s smaller villages, where applications for 10 or fewer houses will no longer have a route to be considered by elected members, with residents able to make public representations.”
“It is important that the public understands we have no power to change this national scheme of delegation. It is not something we want.”
Under the new arrangements, applications falling within the category reserved for officer decisions will no longer be eligible for determination by planning committees, even where councillors have previously requested that they be considered publicly.
Councillors will still be able to submit written representations, while some other applications may be referred to committees if they meet a test relating to their economic, social or environmental significance.
The changes also affect applications submitted by the council itself, its councillors or officers.
Previously, such applications were automatically considered by planning committees to ensure decisions were made openly.
Under the new rules, they may instead be determined by officers unless a nominated councillor and officer agree that committee consideration is appropriate.
Cllr Myers said this raised further concerns about public confidence in the planning system.
He said he had asked officers whether the council could retain its existing approach to transparency despite the national changes.
He added:
“We do not want this council, its members or its officers facing allegations that decisions have not been made openly."
Planning committee decisions made in breach of the new regulations could face judicial review and potentially be overturned.
The changes must be incorporated into the council’s constitution by October 31, with a report due to go before full council in November.
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