Planning bill is sowing division, says Tory MP

The government's efforts to speed up housebuilding are sowing division in communities, a Conservative politician has said.

Mid Bedfordshire MP Blake Stephenson said Labour's Planning and Infrastructure Bill was a "government narrative of builders v blockers - I think that's putting the back up of communities".

The bill was introduced in March to help fulfil a promise of building 1.5 million homes in England in the next five years.

Rachel Hopkins, Labour MP for Luton South and South Bedfordshire, said local people would "have their say" over planned development.

The two MPs spoke to the BBC Politics East programme from London Luton Airport, after the government gave the go-ahead for expanding the terminal earlier this year.

It is a part of the region where the challenges of growth and a changing economy are big talking points.

Car maker Stellantis closed the town's Vauxhall factory in March, but over towards Bedford, Universal plans to open a giant theme park and the construction of East West rail promises to pave the way for more housebuilding.

Stephenson welcomed plans for the Universal theme park and the need for new homes, but added: "We do need to take communities along with us.

"We need the right types of house in the right places."

He continued: "If people know the infrastructure is there as their communities expand they are going to get on board.

"The builders v blockers argument may well set the government back on its target to build 1.5 million homes."

Hopkins responded: "We need to make sure there is a local contribution and people have their say but ultimately we need the homes and we need to build them and that will support our economic growth with investment in construction, good jobs [and] skills training.

"And we need to get on with it."

The airport falls inside Hopkins's constituency, and she said the aviation hub would help support a growing population: "Luton airport is a part of the growth of Bedfordshire as a destination.

"Luton has brilliant transport links that are going to be further improved."

East West Rail's director of external affairs, Natalie Wheble, said its plan for a train line between Cambridge and Oxford - going through Bedfordshire - would provide an "efficient and sustainable" transport link for people.

Rob Brighouse, director of business investment company Luton Rising, said Luton was yet to "achieve its potential" due to its location in the centre of the "Oxford-Cambridge-London triangle".

Angelina Aziz, the co-founder of an artificial intelligence company in Luton, said more investment was needed to support start-up companies and new high-tech firms in the area.

"A lot of our best talent in Luton tends to move to London. We need more investment," she said.

The airport plans have been controversial and opposed by the Stop Luton Airport Expansion group (SLAE).

Peter White, of SLAE, has been sceptical about the number of jobs the airport says the expansion will create.

He has previously told the BBC the "quality of life" of people who live near the airport will be damaged by the project.

Lord John Hutton, chair of the board of London Luton Airport, said: "We've got a once in a generation opportunity to do something pretty amazing here and provide an economic lifeline for the town.

"The airport sustains and supports about 27,000 in the local economy. After expansion that number will be approaching 40,000.

"The whole focus is to get moving on this as quickly as we can to bring the economic and social benefits of expansion to Luton."

BBC Politics East will be broadcast on Sunday 13 July at 10:00 GMT on BBC One in the East of England, and will be available after broadcast on BBC iPlayer.

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