article: They are under pressure from voters to limit building development but planning guidelines make it hard for them do so. Unless they have a five-year supply of housing land, developments that are refused can go through on appeal. To fight an appeal "will cost a lot of money" and councils are "strapped for cash", said consultant David Shaw. The East region is one of the fastest growing parts of England and the government is keen to increase the rate of house building. Mr Shaw, a Peterborough based town planning consultant, said: "Councils are very strapped for cash these days. "If they are going to have to fight an appeal they know that will cost them a lot of money and they're frightened of that. So they're making decisions that they are really reluctant to make." Local authorities are obliged to have a five-year housing land supply as part of the National Planning Policy Framework published in March 2012 by the Department for Communities and Local Government. The aim of the framework is to make the planning system less complex and more accessible, the department said. If a local authority does not have a clearly stated five-year housing land supply planning policies for new homes will be considered out of date. This means a government inspector can override a local decision on appeal using this one provision. Source:National Planning Policy Framework North Hertfordshire District Council is in a high-growth area under pressure to accept more new homes than local people want. It recently approved plans for 150 homes at Ivy Farm, Royston. David Levett, planning portfolio holder for the council, said: "It wasn't the ideal site but on balance we felt that if we refused it and it went to appeal, it would almost certainly be approved by the inspectors. "We haven't got a five-year land supply and... that's why we approved it." Mr Levett denied that the costs of an appeal were a factor at Royston. Â£242,000 was the average (mix adjusted) price of a property in the UK in 2013 21,050 homes were started by private enterprise, housing associations and local authorities in the East 19,040 homes were completed 27.8m residential properties make up the UK housing market Other councils claiming to have a five-year land supply have still found their decisions overturned on appeal. South Cambridgeshire District Council refused plans for 150 new homes at Waterbeach. But the planning inspector later approved them, saying the council could not "demonstrate" a five-year land supply. Robert Turner, the council's planning portfolio holder, said: "We were very disappointed to see a major decision like that overturned. "Applications are coming to us and even if we don't like them, and refuse them, the government has obviously got a bigger picture and can grant them on appeal." In Clenchwarton, near King's Lynn, an application for 40 homes was turned down by the Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk because the site was outside the village development boundary and prone to flooding. But it was allowed on appeal, again, because the inspector said the
summary: Councils in the east of England feel forced to back plans for homes because they are "frightened" to reject them, a BBC investigation has found.