Victoria urges Michael Gove to fix broken planning system

Ahead of the King’s Speech, which will set out the government’s priorities before the General Election, Victoria Collins, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Harpenden & Berkhamsted, has written to Michael Gove demanding more is done to fix the broken planning system. 

The Liberal Democrats believe housing numbers should be calculated from the bottom up, based on community housing needs and achievable local targets that also help protect the greenbelt. We’d also like to see local councils set binding affordable and social housing targets so we’re building the homes we actually need, as well as ensuring all developments have appropriate infrastructure. In her letter, Collins warns of too many decisions being taken directly by Gove in Whitehall that won’t fix the system in the long term.

At their recent party conference, Victoria and the Lib Dems also committed to national housing and social housing targets, as well as getting a fairer deal for renters.

Victoria Collins, Liberal Democrats parliamentary candidate for Harpenden and Berkhamsted, said:

“The current top-down approach to planning under Michael Gove and the Conservatives has left communities feeling powerless and underserved, while power remains with developers, without fixing the housing crisis. The people of Harpenden, Berkhamsted, Tring and our villages deserve better.

“Many people understand the need to build houses to help a whole generation afford their own home. The Liberal Democrats want to build the right homes in the right places, with the right infrastructure. 

“I’ve written to Michael Gove to ask for real solutions. The Liberal Democrats want to fix our housing crisis and the broken planning system, while protecting and empowering our local communities. I implore the Conservative government to ensure the King’s Speech includes  plans to tackle a problem they’ve given lip service to for far too long.”