Hughes seeking changes to town planning policy
The role of people in town planning jobs could change if Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes gets his way.
Mr Hughes has proposed an amendment to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, which would allow local authorities greater freedom to choose how money from building developments is spent.
The MP for North Southwark and Bermondsey wants to give councils the option of spending the money on new social housing or improving the condition of existing housing stock.
At present council officials are required to allocate money received from building developments to infrastructure projects, but Mr Hughes does not think that is an effective use of the funds.
"The current planning system is outdated. It is ludicrous that councils are forced to use money from local developments to improve flowerbeds when there is a real need to improve local housing," he said.
Mr Hughes believes his private members bill, which will be debated on Friday, would benefit both local people who need social housing and developers.
Those working in planning jobs already face the prospect of adapting to new regulations, as housing minister John Healy recently announced that from April 2010 landlords will need to apply for planning permission when converting a property for use as shared accommodation.
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