Communities secretary speech claims opponents of NPPF 鈥榟aven鈥檛 read the consultation documents鈥

Communities secretary Eric Pickles has taken aim at the growing lobby opposed to the government鈥檚 planning reforms, claiming they have not done their research.

Pickles, who was speaking at the annual RESI housebuilding conference in Wales, criticised the campaign led by the National Trust and the Daily Telegraph against the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

鈥淭hey鈥檝e got hot and bothered without reading the consultation documents,鈥 he said.

Pickles also dismissed the controversy surrounding the NPPF鈥檚 鈥減resumption in favour of sustainable development鈥.

鈥淭here鈥檚 always been a presumption in favour of development since the 1948 [Town and County Planning] Act,鈥 he said.

The minister said the government was committed to greater development and wanted to 鈥済et Britain building again鈥. He claimed the NPPF changes were necessary to reform planning and to cut the cost of development.

鈥淲e have a strange situation where planning costs have grown as applications have fallen. Office space is more expensive in Manchester and Birmingham than Manhattan,鈥 he said.

Pickles reiterated that the government鈥檚 localism agenda will remain in place.

鈥淟ocalism is here to stay. The best developers know that if you get into a partnership with communities you鈥檝e got a better opportunity to build something valuable. Those that don鈥檛 engage will quickly fall behind.鈥