A NEW Government Housing White Paper is set to be formally criticised by a cross-party group of Worcester councillors, it has emerged.

Worcester City Council's planning committee is expected to endorse a letter to ministers outlining significant concerns about the big shake-up.

It cites:

- Worry over the mechanisms to make the most out of "cross-boundary planning" where housing developments stretch across two council areas

- A concern that councils face being "penalised" if housing delivery falls below targets in just one year

- Affordable housing being "undermined" by scrapping targets on creating so-called starter homes, in favour of a greater emphasis on property ownership

- Councils needing clear powers to reject housing proposals on "design grounds", to avoid shabby-looking estates in areas rich with character

- There should be no need to "reopen debates" over how many houses areas should aim to get built

- Instead of charging developers to appeal over decisions made by councils, the national Planning Inspectorate should take the radical step of "screening" appeals and "refusing to put them into the system" if they are deemed to be a waste of time

The detailed set of arguments, seen by this newspaper, also cites several other concerns, including putting an onus on councils to ensure 'digital infrastructure' is developed.

It also says councillors feel that the Government's package of measures to try and boost house building "will not be effective", saying private developers sometimes secure planning permission and do not build the homes.

On shortening the life of planning permissions from three years to two years, a move designed to speed up the creation of new properties, it says: "Shortening the life of planning permissions may not increase delivery, as developers are likely to factor this into their decisions on when to submit a planning application."

The response has been published in draft form, and will be debated by the city council's planning committee next Thursday.

It is a joint one with district councils in Malvern and Wychavon, with all three south Worcestershire authorities required to endorse it before it is signed off and sent to the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), headed up by Sajid Javid.

Malvern Gazette:

It comes at a time when the county is facing significant new building over the next few years under the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP).

It earmarks land across Worcester, Malvern and Wychavon for 28,370 homes by 2030, including two 'super village' style urban extensions, to the south and west of the city by St Peter's and Dines Green respectively.

Around a third of the homes contained in the SWDP already have planning permission.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid unveiled the white paper back in February, pledging to "fix our broken housing market".

He said planning laws will be watered down so there is an automatic presumption of approval to development on brownfield sites, and outlined plans to build 'affordable rents' with prices 20 per cent below true market value.