Reports suggest Rishi Sunak is planning to drop reforms announced in the mini-Budget last month.
New prime minister Rishi Sunak is considering dropping all of the planning reforms announced in last month’s mini-Budget, according to reports this morning.
Number 10 has apparently said it is possible that none of the government’s “supply-side” reforms will ever be published and has signalled that it would drop all of Liz Truss’ planning policies aimed at promoting growth.
This would mean the proposed investment zones – areas of the country which would benefit from streamlined planning and reduced regulations – would not see the light of day.
It would also mean the end of the proposed planning and infrastructure bill, which was meant to accelerate priority infrastructure projects through reduced environmental assessments and regulation. Detail on the reforms had been due to be published this month.
It is also not yet clear whether the Sunak government intends to make significant changes to the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill, which pre-dates the Truss government and is currently making its way through parliament.
More localist in focus, the bill’s chief architect Michael Gove was reappointed to the housing secretary brief this week.
>> See also: Gove is back: key questions for the returning housing secretary
>> See also: Q&A: what Sunak has told us about his views on housing
The bill would bring street votes into local areas, strengthen neighbourhood planning, remove the duty to cooperate and bring in a new infrastructure levy to partially replace Section 106 affordable housing contributions and the community infrastructure levy.
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