Covid-19: Planning System

Baroness Thornhill Excerpts
Monday 8th June 2020

(4 years, 5 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Greenhalgh Portrait Lord Greenhalgh
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The situation at the moment is that there is a planning commission that has started under my right honourable friend Chris Pincher, the planning Minister. I cannot make any further comments about what the noble Baroness has read in the media.

Baroness Thornhill Portrait Baroness Thornhill (LD) [V]
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I declare my interest as a vice-president of the Local Government Association. Given that much development is controversial and provokes much local opposition, should the Government not be working more with local authorities to win popular support for major developments and housebuilding, not undermining them by a further removal of planning powers?

Lord Greenhalgh Portrait Lord Greenhalgh
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I am not sure how this relates to the original Question. All the proposals from the Government around making the existing planning system work pragmatically are on a temporary basis. There is certainly no intention to take away planning powers from local authorities within these measures.