Minutes:
(i) At item 14(4) the Council received a Motion in the names of Councillors Keith Ferry and William Stoodley in the following terms:
“This Council notes with rising concern, the ill thought out reforms to the UK’s planning system, in particular the proposals to enable applicants to avoid local decision making by applying direct to the Secretary of State for planning permission; proposals to allow Planning Inspectors to unilaterally determine affordable housing levels within a development at a time of housing crisis and the changes to permitted development that will enable monster extensions to homes destroying amenity and value without planning permission, the changes of use from offices to residential without the necessary controls to keep employment, or minimum standards to safeguard occupiers or the means to secure necessary contributions to infrastructure such as schools and health.
At a time of unprecedented uncertainty in the development sector, these changes are causing schemes to be delayed, whilst people wait and see, and will give rise to considerable anxiety to local communities being asked to accept new homes and development. Meanwhile, those parties, including Harrow Council, who seek to engage constructively in the realisation of community benefit from new development, are finding the uncertainty compounding, rather than supporting enterprise and growth locally. The proposals run counter to the government’s so called localism agenda and will instead allow important planning outcomes to be determined by Whitehall, rather than locally democratically elected Councillors.
This Council deplores the recent announcement by the Government that permitted development rights will be increased to allow house extensions of up to 8 metres to be built without local authority permission.
This Council agrees with the Local Government Association’s statement that “This policy potentially gives the green light to unsightly and out-of-place development without delivering a big enough boost to the construction industry to justify the potential damage”.
This Council notes that the Mayor of London has stated his opposition to this change in policy.
This Council resolves to oppose this measure and to opt out of the legislation if this is at all possible.
Council instructs the Chief Executive to communicate this motion to the Minister for Communities and Local Government, the Mayor of London, the three Harrow MPs and the GLA member for Brent and Harrow.”
(ii) There was a tabled amendment in the names of Councillors Stephen Greek and Joyce Nickolay which sought to amend the Motion as follows:
“This Council deplores the recent announcement by the Government that permitted development rights will be increased to allow house extensions of up to 8 meters to be built without local authority permission.
This Council agrees with the Local Government Association’s statement that “This policy potentially gives the green light to unsightly and out of-place development without delivering a big enough boost to the construction industry to justify the potential damage”.
This Council notes that the Mayor of London has stated his opposition to this change in policy.
This Council resolves to oppose this measure and to opt out of the legislation if this is at all possible.
Council instructs the Chief Executive to communicate this motion to the Minister for Communities and Local Government, the Mayor of London, the three Harrow MPs an the GLA member for Brent and Harrow.”
(iii) Upon a vote, the amendment at (ii) was lost.
(iv) Upon a further vote the substantive Motion at (i) was agreed.
RESOLVED: That the substantive Motion, as set out at (i) above, be adopted.