Barnet Labour joined a cross-party motion in supporting local decision-making in planning at a meeting of the Full Council on Tuesday 7th July, while also backing more affordable housing.
The motion – passed by Barnet Council – calls for no further erosion of local decision-making following the passage of the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025. Following the motion, the leader of the council, Councillor Barry Rawlings, will write to the Government outlining the council’s concerns.
Barnet’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Homes and Regeneration, Councillor Ross Houston said: “We are clear that meaningful local engagement and transparent decision-making are important in securing public confidence in the planning system and in the delivery of sustainable development.
“We need to ensure that the voice of local communities is heard and the council will be writing to the Government to underline the role of councillors in that.
“The new arrangements that must be put in place under the Planning and Infrastructure Act need to work for our local area, and this will be referred to a cross-party working group to discuss what those local arrangements should be.”
Councillor Houston added that caring for local residents also meant ensuring that more affordable and social house was built.
“Barnet’s Labour council secured 1,000 social rent council homes in the last four years, and we aim to secure a further 1,000 in the next four years.
“You have to have a balanced approach. The problem with the Conservatives, and too often the Greens, is that they only know how to say no, but have no practical plan for providing more affordable housing or how we resolve the huge financial burden of costly temporary accommodation.”
