Is this the sign the government has cracked planning reform?

It’s not often good form for a journalist to cut and paste a press release, but the below is, to my mind, so significant that it’s worth reproducing in full. It is the response of the Campaign to Protect Rural England to today’s planning reforms.

The Government is today announcing plans to increase housebuilding as part of a productivity drive.

Paul Miner, planning campaign manager at the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), reflects on the announcements:

On Government intention to intervene when local plans are not coming forward  

“With so few councils having post-2012 local plans in place, the Government’s move is understandable. At the same time, our research has shown that the main reason local plans are being delayed is because developers are challenging the housing numbers at every step.

“To ensure councils can bring in community-led plans quickly, the Government must show its support for councils that aim for realistic numbers of new homes in their area.