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Winchester T: 01962 893 893 F: 01962 893 883
London T: 020 7812 6490 F: 020 7812 6677
info@remarkable-engagement.co.uk
Find out more about Localism visit localism-agenda.com
Several high profile planning and regeneration spokespeople lost their seats in a general election that produced, as widely anticipated, the first hung parliament since 1974.
The Conservative party won the largest number of seats, with 306, 20 short of an overall majority. The Labour party came in second place with 258, and, on what was a disappointing night after their recent poll showings, the Liberal Democrats came in third with 57 (one constituency is not going to the polls until May 27 due to the death of one of the candidates).
The night saw several high profile losses for the planning sector. Liberal Democrat communities and local government spokesperson Julia Goldsworthy was beaten by her Conservative opponent by just sixty six votes, and Shahid Malik, the minister responsible for the Thames Gateway, lost his Dewsbury seat, missing out to his Conservative opponent by just 1,525.
Elsewhere, John Denham, communities minister, scraped home in his Southampton Itchen constituency. His vote was recounted and he saw his majority plummet to just 192 votes. Meanwhile John Healey, housing and planning minister, Bob Neil, shadow planning minister, Stewart Jackson, shadow regeneration minister, Caroline Spelman, shadow communities and local government secretary and Grant Shapps, shadow housing minister, all comfortably retained their seats.
The property industry has already started digesting the result. Jones Lang LaSalle planning director Bruce Hartley-Raven said: "In the short-term, a hung parliament is probably the least preferable outcome as far as the planning system is concerned.
"For example, those waiting to hear if their planning applications will be called-in, or for decisions on significant proposals are likely to have to wait. And there is no chance of progress on major infrastructure projects such as a third runway at Heathrow or high-speed rail."
He added: "Going forward, given the expected final number of seats there would have to be some major concessions from the parties to form an effective coalition, and consensus on planning issues."
He concluded: "Until the dead-lock is resolved development, regeneration and policy evolution will inevitably be curtailed."
Not everyone was as gloomy though. BNP Paribas Real Estate head of development John Bowles said: "This may not be as drastic a result for the housing market or the housing sector as a whole. All three party manifestos included some good ideas to support housing delivery and whatever the particular political blend turns out, my hope is that the government has the wisdom to use the best and discard the worst of these ideas."
In practical terms, what will now follow are several days of wrangling between the parties in an attempt to thrash out a coalition or informal working arrangement. Whoever forms the next government though, a far larger degree of cross-party consensus will be required than has been the case for a number of years.
There is actually large consensus already between the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives, and it is more than likely that a minority Tory government would get many of its proposals - the scrapping of the RDAs, the establishment of a third party right of appeal and the abolition of the IPC and nationally set building targets, for example - through with Lib Dem support. In a coalition between the Liberal Democrats and the Labour party, things would not be quite so simple.
Whatever happens, Remarkable will be busy analysing the results. Keep checking the website for updates or contact us to find out more about what the elections mean for you.
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