No big changes foreseen for planning green paper

Despite rumours that the controversial tariff scheme to replace section 106 planning gain agreements will be abandoned, policy officers believe the 30,000 objections to the green paper received during consultation may not lead to any changes in the final draft.

"The indications are that the government will still push through a lot of what they proposed initially," said Robert Shaw, policy officer at the Town and Country Planning Association.

Prescott's announcement on Monday of a new planning incentive grant for local authorities that improve their planning services the most had been anticipated across the sector as a mechanism for delivering on proposals in the green paper.

Prescott's message that the government would be "seeking a greater density of development," echoes previous calls from the urban taskforce.

Shaw said: "We are looking for comprehensive measures to develop sites already allocated in development plans – areas such as the Thames Gateway which may have to be brought into public ownership owing to the lack of private sector demand to develop them."

Royal Town Planning Institute president Mike Haslam warned: "The government should be realistic about the level of affordable housing that can be squeezed out of private developers through the planning system."

The House Builders Federation called for sanctions against local authorities who fail to hit planning targets and said national housing need must not be "hijacked or thwarted by local anti-housebuilding opposition".

Urban taskforce member Chris Brown said: "I have read nothing that reassured me [the comprehensive spending review] would deliver for planning on the ground. The broad direction of the review seems good but not very practical."