Agenda item

7.02pm – Councillor Rachel Leighton moved, seconded by Councillor Andrew Jones, the special motion in their names.

“This Council notes:

·      The publication of the Government’s white paper, ‘Planning for the Future’ which sets out proposals on reforms to the Planning process.

·      That the overwhelming majority of applications are approved by local authority planning committees, with permission granted to 8 out of 10 applications in Hammersmith & Fulham.

·      That research by the LGA shows that there are existing planning permissions for more than one million homes that have yet to be started.

This Council notes, with grave concern, that these proposals, if enshrined in law, will:

·      Remove the right of Hammersmith and Fulham residents to object to applications near them.

·      Disempower our local community and hand power over to developers to do as they wish, bringing misery to residents across Hammersmith and Fulham.

·      Grant developers the automatic and absolute right to build on areas of land identified as ‘for growth’.

·      Remove Section 106 payments that are invaluable in supporting community infrastructure and to the building of affordable homes.

·      Set us back even further on achieving the levels of affordable housing so desperately needed for hard working families in Hammersmith and Fulham.

·      Lead to poor quality, inadequate and dangerous developments that will blight the lives of our residents and our beautiful streets for generations to come.

This Council believes:

·      That existing planning procedures allow for democratic development and give our local communities a voice and a say in the planning proposals that affect them.

·      That these proposals from the Tory government amount to a damaging and dangerous ‘Developers Charter’ and calls on the Government to abandon these proposals.

This Council resolves to call on the Government to withdraw their Developer’s Charter now and instead engage with local authorities constructively and provide the funding we need to build affordable housing fit for purpose and fit for the future.”

A speech on the special motion was made by Councillor Rachel Leighton for the Administration.

The following amendment was moved by Councillor Alex Karmel and seconded by Councillor Matt Thorley:

Delete all after:

“This Council notes: The publication of the Government’s white paper, ‘Planning for the Future’ which sets out proposals on reforms to the Planning process.”

Replace with:

“This Council resolves to call on the Government to engage with local authorities constructively.”

Speeches on the amendment were made by Councillors Alex Karmel, Matt Thorley, and Andrew Brown for the Opposition, and Councillors Matt Uberoi and Andrew Jones for the Administration.

The amendment was then put to the vote:

FOR:                       11

AGAINST:              32

NOT VOTING:        0

The amendment was declared LOST.

A speech on the substantive motion was made by Councillor Andrew Brown for the Opposition. Councillor Rachel Leighton then made a speech summing up the debate before it was put to the vote:

FOR                        32

AGAINST                0

NOT VOTING         11

The special motion was declared CARRIED.

7.36pm – RESOLVED

This Council notes:

·      The publication of the Government’s white paper, ‘Planning for the Future’ which sets out proposals on reforms to the Planning process.

·      That the overwhelming majority of applications are approved by local authority planning committees, with permission granted to 8 out of 10 applications in Hammersmith & Fulham.

·      That research by the LGA shows that there are existing planning permissions for more than one million homes that have yet to be started.

This Council notes, with grave concern, that these proposals, if enshrined in law, will:

·      Remove the right of Hammersmith and Fulham residents to object to applications near them.

·      Disempower our local community and hand power over to developers to do as they wish, bringing misery to residents across Hammersmith and Fulham.

·      Grant developers the automatic and absolute right to build on areas of land identified as ‘for growth’.

·      Remove Section 106 payments that are invaluable in supporting community infrastructure and to the building of affordable homes.

·      Set us back even further on achieving the levels of affordable housing so desperately needed for hard working families in Hammersmith and Fulham.

·      Lead to poor quality, inadequate and dangerous developments that will blight the lives of our residents and our beautiful streets for generations to come.

This Council believes:

·      That existing planning procedures allow for democratic development and give our local communities a voice and a say in the planning proposals that affect them.

·      That these proposals from the Tory government amount to a damaging and dangerous ‘Developers Charter’ and calls on the Government to abandon these proposals.

This Council resolves to call on the Government to withdraw their Developer’s Charter now and instead engage with local authorities constructively and provide the funding we need to build affordable housing fit for purpose and fit for the future.