Eric Pickles said he wanted to return power to local authorities Reforms to the planning system in England giving decision-making powers to local people are to be unveiled by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles.
The Localism Bill will hand power over planning decisions from Whitehall to neighbourhood groups.
It wants residents to set a plan for development in their area, which will then be voted on by the community.
The government will offer financial incentives for areas which encourage the “right kind of development”.
Under the plans, communities will decide where new shops, offices or homes should go and what green spaces should be protected.
If residents then vote in favour of the “Neighbourhood Plans” in local referendums, councils will have to adopt them.
These plans would then be given access to “fast-track” planning approval, meaning urgent planning can short-cut the system quickly.
The government is asking for 12 councils to volunteer to come forward and trial the system.
“Localism in planning will create the freedom and the incentives for those places that want to grow, to do so”
Greg Clark Minister for Planning
Mr Pickles said: “For far too long local people have had too little say over a planning system that has imposed bureaucratic decisions by distant officials in Whitehall and the town hall.
“We need to change things so there is more people-planning and less politician-planning, so there is more direct democracy and less bureaucracy in the system. These reforms will become the building blocks of the Big Society.”
Greg Clark, Minister for Planning and Decentralisation, added: “We want local people to be able to make more of their own choices about what their home town should look like in the future. These reforms offer a scope for self-determination unheard-of until now.
“Localism in planning will create the freedom and the incentives for those places that want to grow, to do so, and to reap the benefits. It’s a reason to say ‘yes.'”
Last month, Mr Pickles lost a court battle over his decision to scrap the last government’s regional housing targets in England.
The move was ruled unlawful by the High Court after housing developers had asked the court to block it, arguing Mr Pickles had abused his powers.
Mr Pickles had said he wanted to return planning powers to local communities. An aide said that no appeal was planned.
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