The article critiques Keir Starmer's approach to planning reform, likening it to Boris Johnson's missteps in 2020 that alienated voters. Johnson's promise of 300,000 new homes and new planning systems was met with public opposition due to concerns over environmental protections. This discontent was evident in the Chesham and Amersham byelection, where Conservative losses highlighted the electorate's desire for local input in development. Steve Reed emphasized that the failure to build homes lies not in planning, but in developers not executing approved projects.
In June 2021, in a byelection in the most Tory of Tory constituencies, Chesham and Amersham, the Conservatives suffered a massive electoral shock, losing to the Lib Dems. A large part of the reason for this loss was the public backlash against Johnsonâs proposed assault on the planning system, showcasing that voters value control over their local development.
Steve Reed, the then shadow environment secretary, argued that the unpopularity of the Tory proposals is not because voters are nimbys, but because residents rightly want and deserve a say over how their own neighbourhoods are developed. This suggests a disconnect between government decisions and public sentiment.
The problem with getting homes built, he argued, is not the planning process; it is developers who do not build the homes once they have consent. While nine out of 10 planning applications are approved, over 1.1 million homes that received consent in the past decade have still not been built.
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