‘Concerns over the quality of housing and developments remain’ - CPRE comments on new planning laws

Commenting on new laws to extend homes upwards, Crispin Truman, chief executive of CPRE, the countryside charity, said:

‘The housing secretary is absolutely right to highlight the mounting pressure on Green Belt and greenfield sites and we welcome the focus on urban regeneration to relieve that pressure - the closest the government has come to adopting the all-out ‘brownfield first policy’ that we desperately need.

‘But there remain major concerns over the quality of housing and other developments being delivered. Our evidence has shown that three-quarters of housing developments should not have been granted planning permission due to poor or mediocre design quality. Further deregulation as proposed here, would only make the problem worse.

‘Given the amount of time we are spending at home and in our local areas, it has never been more important to deliver better quality homes and green spaces. That’s why we’re urging the government to keep planning local. Communities need to have more of a say in planning for local homes and places.’