9:50am Wednesday 1st July 2009
By Will Kilner
Government interventions designed to kickstart the building industry in Bradford could end up having the opposite effect, a regeneration chief has warned.
Councillor Adrian Naylor, Bradford Council’s executive member for regeneration, has expressed strong concern over Government moves to extend time limits on planning permissions from three to six years.
Coun Naylor said: “If someone doesn’t want to start building because of the economic climate, I am not sure extending the planning permission will give them any incentive to start work, so it would be concerning to see sites left vacant for longer.”
Coun Naylor was speaking after the Government’s housing and planning minister John Healey outlined his plans to help places like Bradford through the downturn.
Mr Healey said: “In Bradford, planning decisions dropped dramatically from 5,100 to just over 4,600 in the year to 2008 and Craven Council saw a fall from 850 to 680. “I’ve given Bradford and Craven councils the power to extend the time limits on planning permissions.
“This way when the upturn begins, new developments won’t be stuck in the planning system.”
The Government also plans to give developers more scope to make minor alterations without going back to the drawing board.
But Coun Naylor said: “The question is what will be classed as a minor alternation? Is another floor on top of a 27-storey development a minor alternation?
“If a scheme has gone through the panel with detailed consultation and is changed later, is that a good use of the process?”
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