NPPF is right
September 2011
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is 'the right way' to tackle the housing crisis says Colin Brown, who believes we need to encourage high quality development across the region.
“Since the NPPF was launched,” says Colin, “there has been a good deal of excitable comment about what it proposes.
“In many cases the comments have generated more heat than light, with some inferring that the main purpose of the NPPF is to allow developers to concrete over the countryside and to fundamentally dilute planning powers that currently protect valuable environments.
“After careful reading of the NPPF, I do not see it like that at all.
“We have a serious housing crisis in this country. Official figures suggest that we have to build 232,000 houses per year to keep up with demand. Last year we only built 103,000 and that shortfall adds to the deficit that has been built up over a number of years.
“Whilst in part this due to economic factors, one of the main reasons this deficit has arisen is due to our often cumbersome planning system.
“Slimming the system down will enable more properties to be built, more quickly. This will not only reduce the shortfall, but also help the thousands of young, first time buyers who struggle to find homes by stabilising or possibly even bringing down house prices.
“At present, just 10 per cent of England is developed. This includes parks, public spaces and gardens. Even if we built 250,000 homes a year for the next twenty-five years, this would only require an additional 1 per cent of land take.
“The key is to ensure that developments are of good quality and in the right place, so that everyone has access to good housing, education and employment opportunities.
“In recent years, Cambridge and the surrounding area has produced some fine examples of high quality, sustainable housing. We need more of the same to ensure future prosperity without building in an uncontrolled fashion.
“The NPPF is the right way to achieve this. It gives power to local communities, retains
strong protection for the environment and offers regulation that allows for growth, rather than red tape.”