The lessons from history are clear. If you give stakeholders no reason to back reform, you will fail.
The rate of successful appeals is apparently running higher even than it did during the 1980s.
Like Ridley in the 1980s, the Secretary of State can brute-force his way past the NIMBY’s blocking tactics by granting appeals.
The key issue was planning, and our fate was sealed before the first leaflet was delivered. Developers would steamroller the council to get unwanted schemes approved.
Reshuffles, reorganisations, investigations – the Director General of the Propriety and Ethics Team in the Cabinet Office is always in on the action.
The fall of Thatcher brought Heseltine back to the Environment Department. The results, for estate renewal, were dire.
The key theme in the Planning White Paper is local consent, which could unlock the door to new development.