Crucial Localism Bill is delayed in Parliament

The publication of the Localism and Decentralisation Bill has been delayed – adding to the frustration of developers who say they have been operating in a vacuum since May’s general election.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills had said that the Bill would be published yesterday, but it now appears to have been postponed until next week.

The Bill, which will replace national house-building targets with a regime which gives local communities power to decide planning, is now unlikely to get a second reading before Christmas.

Meanwhile, Cala Homes is pursuing its legal battle against the Government over the scrapping of national house-building targets – or regional spatial strategies.

After winning its first round and obtaining a court ruling that CLG secretary Eric Pickles acted unlawfully, Cala Homes now has a date for a new hearing, January 17.

Meanwhile Keith Jenkins, a senior partner at law firm Winckworth Sherwood who helped draft the legislation, said developers would have to be careful not be to seen as ‘bribing’ local communities to accept their plans.

He said: “Local communities are less likely to respond to development proposals on their doorstep with ‘Over my dead body’ – more ‘What’s it worth?’”

By contrast, the so-called Green Deal Bill has been introduced. It was unveiled in the House of Lords and will squeeze in a second reading just before Christmas, on December 22.

It will encourage all property owners to insulate their homes and improve energy efficiency. It will also stamp out cowboy installers, and set up a ‘green deal’ register of approved firms and individuals.

For those who care about saving the planet, climate change and loft insulation, you can read the Government’s Energy Security and Green Economy Bill.
 
A briefing on the entire bill can be found at https://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/legislation/energy_bill/energy_bill.aspx

A briefing specifically focusing on the Green Deal sections can be found https://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/legislation/energybill/543-energy-security-bill-brief-green-deal.pdf