Michael Gove vows to ban ugly new homes

Michael Gove has vowed that developers requesting planning permission for “not aesthetic” new homes will have their plans “called in” and blocked by the Government. It is part of the Surrey Heath MP’s plan to reduce public opposition to housebuilding projects.Speaking to a Centre for Policy Studies conference on Monday, the former education secretary blasted building forms for designing identikit homes often out of character with the local area.The Mr Gove also accused the industry of ‘manipulating’ councils by using loopholes in the planning system in order to avoid paying for infrastructure .Mr Gove was also critical of the tendency for building firms to overturn democratic decisions about where houses should be built.He argued that under the Government’s planning reforms ministers and local authorities will have the power to hold developers to account. Michael Gove leaving Downing Street last month (Image: Getty Images ) New housing developments are often criticised for their appearance (Image: Getty Images )This he argued would hopefully make developments less controversial and in turn reduce public opposition.Last month Mr Gove reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to build 300,000 homes a year despite the fact that Liz Truss had vowed to abolish ‘Stalinist’ targets.Mr Gove argued in his speech that that many developments are not up to the required standard.He said: “The experience of many buyers is that the incredibly expensive homes that they buy simply aren’t up to the standard that they should be.READ MORE: Are you happy to pay more tax to help pull UK out of recession? POLL Queen Mother Square in Poundbury (Image: Getty Images ) An aerial view of Poundbury (Image: Getty Images )’There are far too many faults and defects.”But more than that, for those who have seen new houses built, the fact is that so many house builders are using a restrictive pattern book with poor-quality materials, and the aesthetic quality of what they produce is both disappointing and also not in keeping with the high aesthetic standards that may already exist.”We will see the wide adoption of design codes and ways in which individuals can appreciate how it is easier to secure planning permission if you build in a way that is consistent with those design codes.’We will use all the powers we have in order to make sure that developments which are not aesthetically of high quality don’t go ahead.’DON’T MISS: UK to pay France millions of pounds even if migrant crossings RISE [REVEAL] Bank of England accused of ‘dragging its feet’ on cutting EU red tape  [INSIGHT] Universal credit U-turn possible as Gove refuses rise with inflation [SPOTLIGHT]  A cafe in Poundbury (Image: Getty Images )Mr Gove cited the example of King Charles’ model village Poundbury in Dorset as an example of a development that had adopted traditional housing design whilst also incorporating shops and businesses.He also added that the town had included a mix of private and social housing hailing it as an example of a successful and well integrated development which has included the appropriate infrastructure.The former Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said that the Government needed to take environmental concerns seriously when considering new developments.