Watford Lib Dems launch petition to change rules on housing

After a planning inspector overruled Watford Borough Council's objection to 15 flats in Wellstones in the town centre, Mayor of Watford Peter Taylor wrote to the government calling for a review of permitted development rights.

The building in Wellstones which has been given permission to be turned into flats

Now his party has gone one step further and started a petition.

It reads: "We, the undersigned, call on government to urgently review and amend permitted development rights so that commercial properties cannot be converted to residential without planning permission, enabling councils to insist on adequate windows, floorspace and fire escape access, and to ensure that new residential properties contribute adequately to the provision of local infrastructure, such as transport, schools and play facilities."

Watford Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Cllr Ian Stotesbury said: "Everyone deserves to live in a decent home and councils must have the power to reject these applications. Nobody should have to suffer the indignity of living in tiny, unsafe flats that don't even have windows. Permitted development rights remove any power that council's have to insist on the most basic standards. This has to change."

The Wellstones plans, which have been altered to nine flats rather than 15 and is currently being considered by the council, proposed flats more than half the size of government standards.

The inspector approved the plans because it met the conditions of the general development permitted order (GDPO).

However, chairman of the Watford Labour party Mike Jackson has called out the Watford Lib Dems describing their stance as "hypocritical".

He said: "The Lib Dems were in coalition with the Conservatives when this legislation (GDPO) was passed by the then Secretary of State. They chose to turn a blind eye to it, they could have stopped it if they thought it was detrimental.

"It's hypocritical to complain about a policy which was agreed while they were in power."

Cllr Stotesbury has responded claiming the GDPO was only a "temporary measure" when it was passed and was made permanent after the coalition ended.

He added his party's main "frustration" is the government has upheld an appeal for an application which "fails to meet government standards".

Since the appeal was successful, the government has said it is committed to "reviewing permitted development rights, particularly in respect of the quality standard of the homes delivered".

The petition can be viewed at http://www.watfordlibdems.org/reform_planning_rights