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Property developers lobby Conservatives

A POWERFUL coalition of some of Britain’s biggest property developers will launch this week to fight Tory party planning policies.

The group, called Building Futures, claims Conservative plans to hand over more power to local councils for planning decisions risks local councillors deciding applications on the basis of “political whims” rather than merit.

Land Securities, Britain’s biggest listed property company, and Countryside Properties are two of the most high-profile members of the lobby group. They argue the Tories’ localism agenda may encourage nimbyism and stifle development.

Building Futures has been formed in the run-up to the general election. It has commissioned an independent survey of 515 local councillors across England and Wales by ComRes, a research consultancy. It reveals that 57% of all councillors think current housing targets are too high. Just 14% said they were too low