Cllr Martin Tett, Transport spokesman for the Local Government Association, responds to a report by Transport for New Homes on planning new housing developments.
“The planning system exists to ensure development is appropriate and residents are able to have their say.
“It is crucial that councils have the powers to ensure house builders contribute to local infrastructure and services as part of new development. Too often builders can use the viability process to avoid making local contributions, and in cases of permitted development – which accounted for one in ten new homes last year – they are not required to make any contributions at all.
“Councils recognise the importance of parks and green spaces in keeping people fit and healthy. This is why they are encouraging the Government to end permitted development for conversions, to establish a robust, transparent national viability process, and consider the impact further spending reductions would have on councils’ abilities to provide high-quality parks and green spaces.
“Councils have already introduced several measures to tackle air pollution, such as encouraging the use of electric vehicles with recharging points, promoting cycling, investing in cleaner buses, managing borough-wide air pollution monitoring networks, and pioneering the concept of low-emission zones.
“Councils are determined to do more in planning for new places in ways that improve air quality and promote more sustainable forms of travel but a lack of funding is a clear barrier to such investment.”