As Government prepares to open the flood gates to developers – perhaps Bob the Builder Jenrick and his mates Boris the bulldozer and Cummins the? (we will leave a space here for your own personalised description) should look at the one million planning consents not yet implemented?
A day or two ago Cll Liz Townsend referred in the post here to homes consented, but not yet built. We could list a shedload of developments in our borough that remain green fields whilst the same developers say: The fight to stop Surrey County Council’s power grab has begun. If Surrey gets its way for a single Unitary Authority its new growth areas in its 2050 Vision come into play. So here in Farnham and Cranleigh our countryside is under attack! Now, look at Surrey County Council’s cunning plan for ‘Your Waverley’s’ eastern villages and Farnham
How about, homes consented, but not built after say – three years, -should be long enough for developers to get all their diggers lined up… that they are forced to pay council tax, until they are? This could then be doubled, or even triped the longer the properties remain unbuilt. There is a case here in Farnham with Berkeley Homes. Others in Cranleigh, Godalming and the villages around where sites are surrounded by metal fences to keep wildlife out, or in, as th case may be to keep them in?
‘Your Waverley’ must build homes at the rate included in its Local Plan. If it doesn’t, under Gvernment rules it is not meeting its housing supply. Hence Inspectors then have the opportunity to grant appeal, after appeal.
It appears quite extraordinary to us mere mortals here at the Waverley Web that developers are allowed bank all those consents until they can maximise their profits.
This is not the first time that our MP’s Jeremy Hunt and former MP Anne Milton were reminded of this. Now, perhaps Mr Hunt and Angela Richardson will press for change when the shake-up of planning regulations come into force shortly. Oh! we mustn’t forget the public consultation that comes first – so he who must be obeyed can tell Parliament that the voting fodder have had their say!
We need to get the system changed – and changed now.
In th meantime – don’t let’s blame Waverley for the planning decisions it will be forced to make under the automatic green light for building in the biggest shake-up to hit this country since the second world war!
No more familiar yellow notices on lamp posts, or notices in local papers! Bob The Builder Jenrick wants us to view them digitally.
It is a complete disgrace and I completely agree that developers should pay either a fine or some sort of Land Tax if they are just “sitting” on developments and they cannot blame the Corona Virus as they have been sitting on their hands for ages,
And now we have the Nationwide saying they won’t allow the Bank of “Mum & Dad” to stump up for the deposit on a new home, they want to see what folk are earning. Although how they will enforce it seems a bit vague – who is to say people haven’t been saving up? We do need new homes, but they need to be sustainable locations with suitable infrastructure in place and not in semi rural locations with limited job opportunities.
We have a Wildlife crisis in the UK with many species being decimated due to over farming, pesticides and Housing land grabs.
So glad you agree. Now Boris is waging war against newts! You couldn’t make it up, really you couldn’t.