Local government risks derailing localism, says CBRE
Nearly a quarter of Conservative and one-third of Liberal Democrat councillors do not support the Localism Bill, new research has revealed. Philip Scott, the Birmingham-based head of planning for the regions at CB Richard Ellis, said the uncertainty among MPs highlights the fact the charter could result in "more bureaucracy, frustration and disappointment".
The research, which included a survey of 400 councillors from across the UK - including 31 in the West Midlands, and 2,000 members of the general public, was unveiled at CB Richard Ellis’ third annual government and infrastructure conference.
Of the 2,000 members of the public surveyed, four in five (78 per cent) thought that their local area was just right or already overdeveloped.
A poll of 200 senior property industry professionals conducted at the conference also highlighted 'nimbyism concerns'.
Nearly half (46 per cent) warned that localism would increase nimbyism and subsequently make it harder to bring forward the new developments needed to encourage growth.
Government incentives including the £1.4bn Regional Growth Fund (RGF), New Homes Bonus (NHB) and revival of enterprise zones, have all been introduced.
However industry experts warned that the funding for the incentives is insufficient, with 58 per cent agreeing that the RGF does not provide access to sufficient cash to make a genuine difference, and only 27 per cent agreeing that the NHB is sufficiently generous.
Philip Scott, the Birmingham-based head of planning for the regions at CB Richard Ellis, said: "The proposed new planning laws within the Bill have been lauded as a potential charter for the nimby lobby. In reality, I suspect it is more likely to be a charter that results in more bureaucracy, frustration and disappointment.
"The government needs to win over a greater number of councillors and the general public to ensure this important policy is successfully embraced. The incentives that have been introduced are a step in the right direction but funding for those incentives now needs to be increased to ensure these measures have a real impact on economic growth."
