WIREDGOV

Cllr David Renard, housing and planning spokesperson for the Local Government Association, responded to new planning laws coming into force today, allowing commercial premises to be converted into homes without requiring a full planning application 

“Local government shares the collective ambition to build more homes in the right locations, genuinely affordable for local people to either rent or buy, of high quality and the right type.

“For that to happen, councils and local communities need to have a voice in the planning process and be able to oversee all local developments. This is crucial so they can shape the area they live in, ensure homes are well designed, built to a high quality, with the necessary infrastructure in place and affordable housing provided.”