Labour urges Tory backbench rebellion in planning reform vote

Labour will attempt to heap pressure on Boris Johnson over his planning reforms after the Tories’ byelection defeat by calling on backbench rebels to support the opposition in a Commons vote.

Sir Keir Starmer’s party has tabled a debate calling for the prime minister to change one of the most controversial proposals by giving communities greater oversight of planning applications.

Senior Conservatives have increased their warnings over the proposed reforms after the Liberal Democrats snatched the Tory stronghold of Chesham and Amersham this week.

Labour’s opposition day motion on Monday will not be binding on the government but the prime minister would be under pressure to rethink his proposals if a significant number of Tories vote with Labour.

The shadow communities and local government secretary, Steve Reed, said: “Good development can only happen when developers and communities work together, but the developers’ charter will gag local residents from having their say.

“Developers will be set loose to bulldoze and concrete over neighbourhoods and green spaces at will.

“Voters have shown Conservative MPs what they think of the developers’ charter. Those MPs now have the chance to join Labour in voting to kill off these perverse reforms once and for all.”

The Conservatives defended their planning approach and insisted it would protect the green belt and prioritise building on brownfield sites.

Two senior Tory rebels told the PA news agency that they would not be backing a Labour motion and doubted many Conservatives would support a vote in the name of the opposition.

However, in January six Conservatives did back a Labour motion calling for the government to maintain the £20 weekly rise in universal credit.

The Buckinghamshire constituency in the Chilterns had voted Tory since its creation in 1974 until Thursday, when the Lib Dems overturned a 16,000 majority to win by more than 8,000 votes.

Along with the HS2 rail line being built through the constituency, fears overbuilding in the countryside was a major issue in the campaign.

With a target of building 300,000 new homes a year in England, ministers want to overhaul the planning system, arguing reforms would boost the creation of high-quality, sustainable homes by streamlining the process and cutting red tape.

Critics warn the plans will undermine local democracy by removing the public’s right to be heard in person and would strip elected planning committees of development decisions.

Labour’s motion calls on the government to “protect the right of communities to object to individual planning applications”.

Former cabinet minister Damian Green warned that the Tories could become “disconnected” from voters if the party fails to listen following the byelection defeat and failed to improve the “thin” level of oversight in the plans.

“People want some form of local control … people don’t want to feel that they’re going to have developments dumped on green fields near them when they and their local representatives have had no say over it,” the MP for Ashford in Kent told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“It’s a fairly thin form [of oversight] frankly and people don’t think it gives them enough protection.”

Conservative party co-chair Amanda Milling said the “concerns about planning and HS2 were loud and clear”.

“I am in no doubt that this result is a warning shot,” she wrote in the Telegraph, adding “the people have spoken and we have heard them”.

Responding to Labour’s move, a Conservative spokesman said: “The Labour party have an appalling track record of providing the homes people need: they built just 59 council houses in Wales in one year.

“The changes to the planning system that we are taking forward are sensible and pragmatic – with more opportunities for local people to have their say in the planning process. We will continue to protect the green belt and prioritise building on brownfield land.”