Winchester T: 01962 893 893 F: 01962 893 883
London T: 020 7812 6490 F: 020 7812 6677
info@remarkable-engagement.co.uk
Winchester T: 01962 893 893 F: 01962 893 883
London T: 020 7812 6490 F: 020 7812 6677
info@remarkable-engagement.co.uk
With the general election fast approaching and the polls pointing to a possible change in government, all eyes are turning to the three main parties' policies to see what's on offer.
The December 2009 Pre-Budget Report provided an excellent opportunity to review Labour's intentions. With regard to development, the PBR mentioned the possibility of introducing Tif (Tax Increment Financing), a scheme used in America for the past 50 years.
Tif uses predicted future gains in taxes to fund current improvements, which, in theory, will then allow for those future gains. For example - if a public road was built, this could lead to an increase in the value of the surrounding property, and perhaps new investment. The increased site value and investment will often lead to increased tax revenues, which are known as tax increments.
Although not supported by all, Tif has been broadly welcomed by business and industry leaders in the UK.
The chancellor used the PBR to announce that the government would "continue to examine" the framework for Tif and how it could be utilised in the UK, while also looking at the primary legislation needed to implement it.
With regard to housing, the government's target of 240,000 new homes a year by 2016 is to be supported by an expansion of the Public Land Initiative. Run by the Homes and Communities Agency, this aims to bring forward surplus public sector land for new housing. It allows public land owners to make sites available to house builders on a ‘deferred payment' basis, rather than selling them outright.
Also announced was the formation of a new body - Infrastructure UK - responsible for advising the government on priorities for long-term national infrastructure investment and developing a strategy in advance of Budget 2010.
From the Conservative Party's perspective, Infrastructure UK is simply another quango within the already clogged administration. Given David Cameron's previous comments on quangos, it is possible that, should the Conservatives win the next election, Infrastructure UK would meet the same end as numerous other groups in the party's quango culling.
Also on the hit list for culling are the Regional Spatial Strategies and Regional Assemblies, both of which are likely to be disbanded in favour of a more localised approach. The party is aiming to remove regional decision making on development requirements and hand control back to local authorities to make those decisions based on and suited to their individual locations. The Tories believe this will remove pressure on local authorities to provide unduly high levels of development in areas which cannot support it. It is the party's intention to place a planning and local communities Bill in Parliament within the first year of its administration, should it win the election, though amendments could be made using devolved powers more quickly.
The recently established Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) is also in line for the chop under a future Tory administration, who claim it is a further level of unnecessary quango involvement. The IPC was established in advance of a number of national policy statements (NPSs). Under the new structure eight planning regimes are to be replaced by the IPC. This will save £300 million, and speed up decision making times on applications such as road / rail / port networks, nuclear power, fossil fuels, and oil and gas applications from seven years to one.
The intention to encourage a more bottom-up approach to development is further acknowledged by the party's aim to offer greater support to local groups wishing to shape their area, replacing the Labour's "decent homes" with "decent neighbourhoods".
One of the party's more ambitious aims to encourage development locally has received much attention in recent months. Under a Conservative administration, from 2011 / 2012 local authorities would retain any increase in council tax revenue as a result of development in the area (offering 100 per cent retention for open market homes and 125 per cent for affordable homes); as well as retaining business rates. Funds would not be ring fenced and would replace central funding as an incentive for development.
Although the removal of unelected bodies from the planning process is generally considered a positive step, house builders are concerned that this overhaul will further delay development, which could be critically damaging in the current economic climate.
The Liberal Democrats have echoed the Conservative view on regionally defined housing targets, and have pledged to scrap this in favour of local authority decision making. The party plans to make repossessions of properties a last resort, ensuring banks do all they can to avoid people losing their homes. The party has continuously highlighted the lack of affordable housing to rent, and intends to build tens of thousands of simple new homes to rent to limit those left without a warm and secure home. Finally, the party wishes to create a system of "Safe Start" mortgages that protect buyers from negative equity.
There are numerous changes planned with regard to development and housing from across the political spectrum, and as all parties look to embrace the green agenda and propose measures to tackle climate change and the carbon footprint, planning and development are likely to become ever more topical issues for debate.
For further information, please contact Stephanie
 |
Issue 2 |
 |
Issue 1 |
You are here: Home / Political Party Policy - Pre Election