11 April 2003
Lethargic planning departments will not be allowed to stand in the way of new housing in Southeast England, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has warned councils.
He said: 'We can't be in a situation where major housing developments are being held back - where planning becomes part of the problem, rather than part of the solution.'
There must be a culture change in the way local authorities deal with planning applications, he told the 'New agenda for British housing' conference in London on April 8.
He added that the Audit Commission would assess councils' performance in delivering the right sort of housing within a reasonable timescale.
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