Sheffield councillor raises concerns about Government's sweeping changes to planning laws

Sweeping changes to England's planning system will ensure better quality homes are built quicker, says Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick.

Under draft laws, developers will be granted "automatic" permission to build homes and schools on sites to kickstart the economy after coronavirus.

Once a Local Plan is agreed, developers in some places could press on with confidence.

But there's a sticking point in Sheffield - because planners are currently working to an outdated and expired Local Plan.

Consultation on the new Local Plan has only just started and it won’t be completed and published until September 2023.

Coun Bob Johnson, Cabinet member for planning, said: "Our ambitions for Sheffield, as set out in the recently published Local Plan Issues and Options document, remain the same and we are determined to maintain the timetable we have already published.

"But the White Paper will undoubtedly affect the planning tools we have available to us to deal with the challenges and opportunities we face as a city.

"There is a lot of detail in the Government proposals and we need time to consider them carefully before responding to the consultation.

"I am, however, concerned that this White Paper is a further centralisation of planning powers by the Government and a weakening of local democracy."

Meanwhile, the Associated Retirement Community Operators said older people are being left behind.

ARCO, which supports retirement villages such as Brunswick Gardens at Woodhouse, said the proposals "entirely ignore" the housing and potential care needs of 12 million older people.

Michael Voges, executive director of ARCO said: “Whilst the Government claims to be 'planning for the future' it appears to be a future in which older people do not feature at all, and the needs of an ageing population are entirely unplanned for.

“The greatest housing shortage the UK faces is of older people’s housing with care and we are falling further behind other countries. Older people do not have enough good options to downsize to where they can have peace of mind that their health and care needs will be met.”

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