PLANNING

Perverse planning decisions The Commons Communities and Local Government Committee has warned that the Coalition’s planning reforms have led to perverse behaviour by local authorities trying to meet set targets. The MPs decided to hold an investigation into the planning regulations, which introduced a “presumption of sustainable development” to force through more house building, after research by academics at Cambridge University warned that there could be issues with the way it is being enforced. The research warned that “some local planning authorities engage in poor practice in order to meet planning targets”. Dr Gemma Burgess, the author of the report, said some councils were refusing applications simply to make a decision within the statutory period.