The leader of Wiltshire Council has criticised the government’s overhaul of the planning system, which sets out the "tough decisions" necessary to "fix the foundations and grow the economy".  

Plans were announced on Tuesday, July 30, and reverse last year's decision to "water down" housing targets.

The new approach has been designed to tackle the housing crisis and meet the commitment to 1.5 million homes.

Councils have been given mandatory housing targets and must boost housebuilding in areas most in need.

The leader of Wiltshire Council, Cllr Richard Clewer has branded the plans as “nothing less than a developers’ charter” released “just as the country goes off for a summer holiday”.

He noted that they would result in "an extra 23,385 houses built in a 15 year local plan period" in Wiltshire.

Cllr Clewer said: “They are proposing a new allocation system that will dump the large majority of these houses in greenfields and, in some cases, green-belt sites in rural England. 

“London and other cities however, will be allowed to continue building far below their fair share of housing despite having the greatest demand and more suitable infrastructure. 

“By returning to the idiocy of the 5-year land supply model, developers will be put even more firmly in the driving seat of deciding what is built where, resulting in more identikit cookie cutter developments built without necessary supporting infrastructure."

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) has argued that his claims regarding greenfield sites are false and that London is expected to deliver record levels of housebuilding.

Although the first port of call for development will be brownfield land, the plans will include low-quality green belt land, reclassified as "grey belt".

The annual target is increased from 300,000 homes to just over 370,000, and will require 50 per cent of new "grey belt" land housing to be affordable "with a focus on social rent".

Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner said: “Our decisive reforms to the planning system correct the errors of the past and set us on our way to tackling the housing crisis, delivering 1.5 million homes for those who really need them.    

“And something I am personally proud of, our new flexibilities for councils will boost the number of social and affordable homes, and give working families a better route to a secure home.” 

Cllr Clewer has claimed that the reforms drive “a bulldozer through the concept of plan-led development combined with public input”.

He added that the requirement to make new developments "beautiful and not to build more soulless modern estates is being dropped". 

 “The changes to the NPPF will make demonstrating sufficient housing supply by local authorities almost impossible (no matter what is actually delivered), thus opening up green fields and even the green belt to development, regardless of local views,” he said.

Cllr Clewer also claimed that recognition of the value of productive farmland will be “deleted” from planning law, placing the country’s food supply at risk of shortages and high prices.

The reforms have been announced just over three weeks after the election and the consultation is open to public comment until September 24, but Cllr Clewer believes the timing is an attempt to reduce public participation.

He concluded: “To add insult to injury, Labour has put this plan out to consultation just as the country goes off for a summer holiday, ensuring that people don’t have a chance to properly comment.

“Unless we make our voices heard, responding to this consultation, we will come home from our holidays to find changes to planning policy sewn up and developers eying up fields around our villages to build on.”

A MHCLG spokesperson said: “We need to build more homes and all areas of the country must play their part.

"Wiltshire’s target has been set objectively and is in line with local housing need.

“We cannot continue with the high rents and unaffordable house prices that we see across the country."