London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 01, 2025

Government drops controversial planning reforms after Tory anger

Government drops controversial planning reforms after Tory anger

The government is dropping controversial elements of its planning reforms in England after a backlash from Conservative MPs.

Ministers will publish a Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill on Wednesday, which will include new proposals to change planning laws.

It is understood a controversial zonal system will be dropped - which would would have seen certain areas earmarked for housing growth and some development applications automatically approved.

Ministers are also expected to confirm that legally-binding housing targets are being scrapped.

Instead, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove will promise communities control over what is happening in their area.

A source said Mr Gove had listened to concerns raised over previous plans.

Housing is a key challenge for the government, having pledged to build 300,000 houses a year by the mid-2020s - sources say that target remains.

Making it easier to approve developments was a key part of its initial strategy after Boris Johnson won the election in 2019.

The original plan would have seen local councils in England having to classify all land in their area as either "protected", for "renewal", or for "growth".

Councils would then have had to look favourably on developments in "renewal" areas, whilst in "growth" zones, applications conforming to pre-agreed local plans would automatically gain initial approval.

Ministers also wanted to introduce binding local quotas.

But the plans sparked a significant Tory backlash - with some in the party saying the policy had contributed to by-election losses in former Conservative heartlands.

Those fears would only have been exacerbated by last week's local elections results.


Design codes and levy


The government believes its new plans will give communities more of an opportunity to shape what happens in their area - and stronger grounds to resist unwanted developments.

Under Mr Gove's plans, communities will be able to hold votes on whether planning permission should be granted for extensions to existing homes on their street.

Ministers are planning design codes, which would see local communities set rules about the layout of new developments and materials which could be used.

And they hope a new infrastructure levy - to be determined locally - will increase funds for local authorities by basing the sum on the value of the property when it is sold, rather than when it gets planning permission.

The planning system will also be digitised, making plans more accessible online.

Ministers want to modernise the system, which often sees notices on lamp posts to alert people to local proposals.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
Federal Reserve Independence Questioned Amid Trump’s Push to Reshape Central Bank
British Politics Faces Tumultuous Autumn After Summer of Rebellions and Rising Farage Momentum
US Appeals Court Rules Against Most Trump-Era Tariffs
UK Sought Broad Access to Apple Users’ Data, Court Filing Reveals
UK Bank Shares Dive Over Potential Tax on Sector
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
×