0:00:35 > 0:00:40Green campaigners see red all over a possible relaxation of planning
0:00:40 > 0:00:50laws on green belt or land. Are the Conservatives are planning to pick
0:00:50 > 0:00:50
0:00:50 > 0:36:40Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2149 seconds
0:36:40 > 0:36:47If coming up in the next 20 minutes it - green campaigners see red over
0:36:47 > 0:36:55the relaxation of planning laws. Art Conservatives appearing to pit
0:36:55 > 0:37:00development above core vote. immediate impact could be concerned
0:37:00 > 0:37:04considerable, if people see their government is responsible for
0:37:04 > 0:37:14making these radical changes which they would see would be for the
0:37:14 > 0:37:16
0:37:16 > 0:37:20worse. And it is David Cameron second-bottom conference as a
0:37:20 > 0:37:26Conservative Prime Minister. How is he feeling in the Conservative
0:37:26 > 0:37:28heartland. It is not often you find staunch Conservatives in the
0:37:28 > 0:37:31party's heartlands getting upset about their ministers' policies,
0:37:31 > 0:37:34but the plans put forward by Greg Clark, the Planning Minister and
0:37:34 > 0:37:37Tunbridge Wells MP, to relax planning laws have got a lot of
0:37:37 > 0:37:40them very worked up. Opponents, which include the National Trust,
0:37:40 > 0:37:43say the new policy will allow houses to be built on greenbelt
0:37:43 > 0:37:45land here in the South East. The government argues the change will
0:37:45 > 0:37:48kick start the economy and provide much needed homes. But are
0:37:48 > 0:37:51Conservative ministers prepared to lose support from their core voters
0:37:51 > 0:37:53in order to push through their plans? We will be asking the
0:37:53 > 0:38:03Sevenoaks MP and deputy chairman of the Conservative Party Michael
0:38:03 > 0:38:04
0:38:04 > 0:38:10Fallon in a moment. First, Helen Drew reports. The Garden of England
0:38:10 > 0:38:14- that is how Ken it is widely known and how many of the county
0:38:15 > 0:38:20resident sea area. It is no surprise they are prepared to go
0:38:20 > 0:38:26into battle over the Government's planning reforms. It may come to
0:38:26 > 0:38:32the extent that some Conservative voters stop voting blue in order to
0:38:32 > 0:38:39protect their land. There is a plan to grant planning permission across
0:38:39 > 0:38:44certain areas of Green Belt. When developers patent applications, the
0:38:45 > 0:38:49date default position will be to say yes, so we could see a lot more
0:38:49 > 0:38:55houses springing up around a or countryside. The Government say
0:38:55 > 0:39:04this is designed to help people get on the property ladder for the
0:39:04 > 0:39:12first time. He owned five acres of land here. We Jewett be tempted to
0:39:12 > 0:39:16sell it to developers? Well, if someone was going to get me
0:39:16 > 0:39:22millions of pounds, of course they would consider it. But what the
0:39:22 > 0:39:27needs to happen is that the law needs to protect the people from in
0:39:27 > 0:39:30this instance, people like me. I am very unhappy about this and I think
0:39:30 > 0:39:38the Government needs to rethink this. It will have a serious effect
0:39:38 > 0:39:43on the way of life for people here. The default in favour of
0:39:43 > 0:39:53development means only those with special exemption will be able to
0:39:53 > 0:40:00refuse plans. One of these - the National Trust has looked at the
0:40:00 > 0:40:07plans and is very concerned. He can see behind me the other areas that
0:40:07 > 0:40:11are not protected and they could be up for grabs. It will mean that
0:40:11 > 0:40:15those areas that have previously remained beautiful and a place
0:40:15 > 0:40:18where people can used for recreation and other rural
0:40:18 > 0:40:22enterprises will actually be up for grabs for development and the local
0:40:22 > 0:40:30people will not be able to do anything about it. That is going to
0:40:30 > 0:40:37make a massive impact on our work countryside. A in this country pub,
0:40:37 > 0:40:41locals were enjoying beautiful views over the countryside. It
0:40:41 > 0:40:45these plans go through far more building on greenfield sites, can
0:40:45 > 0:40:55you imagine more building and a beautiful place like this? Where
0:40:55 > 0:40:56
0:40:56 > 0:40:59else would you find such a view? came joy this lovely scenery
0:40:59 > 0:41:09absolutely not. It is great that we have got this and we should
0:41:09 > 0:41:14treasure it. It is part of England's heritage. It is important
0:41:14 > 0:41:24that we do not overdo this. It is important that we do not spoil all
0:41:24 > 0:41:29or green-belt site. So has Kent lost the countryside? It largely
0:41:29 > 0:41:36vote Conservative, so we'll try to boost the economy, are the in
0:41:37 > 0:41:46danger of alienating their heart wind fought? - - their heart land
0:41:47 > 0:41:48
0:41:48 > 0:41:57what? There is not the solid case of people voting Conservative here
0:41:57 > 0:42:04since the early days of time. It is very volatile here and it will have
0:42:04 > 0:42:07an impact on the vote at both counsel and Parliamentary level.
0:42:07 > 0:42:15people could have a look at the proposals and see how this proposal
0:42:15 > 0:42:20was going to work, the may be less worried. At the moment, they have a
0:42:20 > 0:42:25notion that the Government is changing planning laws which will
0:42:25 > 0:42:32only be in the interests of development. If this policy is
0:42:32 > 0:42:40designed to boost the economy at the risk of losing the heart one
0:42:40 > 0:42:46vote, it is not worth it. Government recently misjudged the
0:42:46 > 0:42:50mood of the land as regards the selling-off of would land areas.
0:42:50 > 0:42:57But it may well be appear this is one battle the do not want to lose,
0:42:57 > 0:43:00even at the cost of core voters. Helen Drew reporting. Joining us
0:43:00 > 0:43:03now is the Sevenoaks MP and deputy chairman of the Conservative Party,
0:43:03 > 0:43:11Michael Fallon. Your party members are really unhappy about this,
0:43:11 > 0:43:16aren't they? I think they have been upset by some of the myths that
0:43:16 > 0:43:23have been put about. Green Belt areas and areas of natural beauty
0:43:23 > 0:43:29will not be affected. What's all this will rest on it is having a
0:43:29 > 0:43:36good local plan. Under the old system, Ministers decided by your
0:43:36 > 0:43:43council had to build 3,000 houses a year or what ever it was. It will
0:43:43 > 0:43:46now be harder for developers to get through that. For firstly, you
0:43:46 > 0:43:51mentioned the Green Belt. The clause that is upsetting people is
0:43:51 > 0:43:57that there is an exception for villages with limited affordable
0:43:57 > 0:44:07housing. That describes Wordsley every village in Kent, Sussex and
0:44:07 > 0:44:08
0:44:08 > 0:44:14Surrey? You can get affordable housing built on Green Belt areas
0:44:14 > 0:44:18at the moment. That has not changed. Let us face it, we need to make
0:44:18 > 0:44:25sure we have affordable housing in the future for the children of the
0:44:25 > 0:44:32people who are living just now. But we are intent on protecting areas
0:44:32 > 0:44:36of natural beauty. He see local councils could drop their on plant
0:44:36 > 0:44:40and then developers would come along and not be able to touch it.
0:44:40 > 0:44:48But the Conservative estimate is that two-thirds of Conservative
0:44:48 > 0:44:53councils are not ready to deal with this when it is made lot. He is, it
0:44:53 > 0:44:57is a fair point that they have not got the plans in place now. But we
0:44:57 > 0:45:03are consulting in changing the paperwork and they will need a
0:45:03 > 0:45:06couple of years to get local plans in place. Even if there was going
0:45:06 > 0:45:10to be a radical change in the number of planning applications
0:45:10 > 0:45:15that could get through, that would not start for a couple of years.
0:45:15 > 0:45:22That would give the council's time to get this in place. But once they
0:45:22 > 0:45:29have got this in place and decided how many houses they want, it will
0:45:29 > 0:45:39be harder for developers to get through. The consultation is due to
0:45:39 > 0:45:43
0:45:43 > 0:45:47end in October. A year trying to rush this true? Well, we cannot
0:45:47 > 0:45:54really women the situation. If we took her time over it, people and
0:45:54 > 0:45:59we would be accused of being too indecisive. Are you surprised by
0:45:59 > 0:46:06how strongly how the likes of the Daily Telegraph Telegraph, a
0:46:06 > 0:46:11traditional Conservative paper, has started a huge campaign against it?
0:46:11 > 0:46:19No, in the likes of Sevenoaks it is the major issue, possibly the most
0:46:19 > 0:46:23important one. But in the past, if development was turned down, it
0:46:23 > 0:46:29just went to appeal and the developers would win an appeal
0:46:29 > 0:46:36against the council. Development is a big issue in the South East. It
0:46:36 > 0:46:43is a very sensitive issue. More asked of us would agree that we
0:46:43 > 0:46:46need more below cost homes. But it is the way the argument is being
0:46:46 > 0:46:54put forward that is the problem. You are having difficulty
0:46:54 > 0:47:01persuading people about this are you? Yes, it is something that we
0:47:01 > 0:47:06have to deal with. The revised wording will be different and there
0:47:06 > 0:47:11is time for local councils to get cracking and draw up plans. But
0:47:11 > 0:47:16across the country, we're not just talking about attractive
0:47:16 > 0:47:20countryside and Green Belt in Kent, across the country been need to
0:47:20 > 0:47:27make sure there is land for sensible development for affordable
0:47:27 > 0:47:35homes and offices that we need. are these core voters we saw in
0:47:35 > 0:47:44that film worth upsetting in order to kick-start the economy? The will,
0:47:44 > 0:47:51we all this they do not want to lose any voters. But this will
0:47:51 > 0:47:58simplify the system and will put local people more in charge.
0:47:58 > 0:48:07sounds as if you may be willing to lose some votes for this? This is
0:48:07 > 0:48:09causing problems. It is not going away. How do we resolve this?
0:48:09 > 0:48:13it will affect every town and village and we want a balance
0:48:13 > 0:48:18between simplifying the local system and putting the local
0:48:18 > 0:48:22council in charge and protecting what we all hold dear, which is the
0:48:22 > 0:48:27Green Belt and the areas of natural beauty. It is a balance. That is
0:48:27 > 0:48:30what we're going to work on. Changes in planning law may well
0:48:30 > 0:48:33encourage growth, but what about changes to the tax system? Finding
0:48:33 > 0:48:36a tax which is cheap to collect, hard to avoid and does not
0:48:36 > 0:48:40discourage people from earning more would surely be a good idea. Step
0:48:40 > 0:48:43forward the Land Value Tax, a way of taxing wealth - the land people
0:48:43 > 0:48:45own - instead of their income. The LVT has traditionally been
0:48:45 > 0:48:48perceived as a socialist policy, but this week a Conservative MP
0:48:48 > 0:48:54argued that it would be a very sensible solution to our economic
0:48:54 > 0:48:57difficulties. So is it an idea whose time has come? Michael Fallon
0:48:57 > 0:49:05is still here and David Wetzel from the Labour Land Campaign joins us
0:49:05 > 0:49:13in the studio. Mr Wetzel, for those new to the concept of a Land Value
0:49:13 > 0:49:21Tax, how would it work? It works on the principle that all land was
0:49:22 > 0:49:28originally provided three and land is there for people to use an by
0:49:28 > 0:49:33taxing land values, we are sharing the land wealth, the rental value
0:49:33 > 0:49:36of will. It is ironic listening to the earlier discussion is that one
0:49:36 > 0:49:41of the reasons there is such pressure and the countryside in the
0:49:41 > 0:49:48South East is because we are not using the land in the North of this
0:49:48 > 0:49:56country. If we had the land value Tex and reduced other taxes on
0:49:57 > 0:50:00wages, income tax, reduce taxes like VAT, the businesses would
0:50:00 > 0:50:07deign to want to go talk in the North of England and we would see
0:50:07 > 0:50:13more use of regional airports and we would not need to build on the
0:50:13 > 0:50:19countryside. The that is probably not an argument that is selling
0:50:19 > 0:50:25itself to the Conservative MP in the south. I you completely
0:50:26 > 0:50:31disagreeing with this question mark no, I am not completely against
0:50:31 > 0:50:38this. Where I do agree with this it is that there are people sitting on
0:50:38 > 0:50:45land and it is important that the simplifying the land system is
0:50:45 > 0:50:55brought in. It is just about how to do it. I am not sure a new tax is
0:50:55 > 0:50:55
0:50:55 > 0:50:59the way to do it. What impact could it have in the South East? People
0:50:59 > 0:51:06holding buildings or were used because over time they make a
0:51:06 > 0:51:14profit - empty buildings - and sites. In London, there is to bomb
0:51:14 > 0:51:24sites that still have not been built on. If owners want to get an
0:51:24 > 0:51:32income from these sites, they will have to do something with them.
0:51:32 > 0:51:41There is that Joe is that it would help - - not help elderly people
0:51:41 > 0:51:51and the likes of farmers. In the likes of Australia, the exempted a
0:51:51 > 0:51:52
0:51:52 > 0:51:56percentage of this from that. is what one named P said. He said
0:51:56 > 0:52:03if you exempted the elderly people and farmers, it could be a workable
0:52:03 > 0:52:09problem. If you look any new tax, you have to look at other people
0:52:09 > 0:52:13there could then get caught up in it. I think we both want to see
0:52:13 > 0:52:19into development and we need to make planning simpler. Firstly,
0:52:19 > 0:52:21people simply need to know where they stand. The value of London
0:52:21 > 0:52:29property has shot up in recent years and there is nothing holding
0:52:29 > 0:52:37them back from developing. problem is that they will make
0:52:37 > 0:52:42money from somebody else selling it on. They have tried to tax
0:52:42 > 0:52:49development value it and that stops development. It keeps the place
0:52:49 > 0:52:55idol. If you bring in this tax, it pushes the system a long-standing
0:52:55 > 0:53:00encourages development. Vince Cable said this might work and he has
0:53:00 > 0:53:10talked about a mansion tanks. If the 50 p tax rate was scrapped,
0:53:10 > 0:53:13
0:53:13 > 0:53:18what you'd would you be happy with as an alternative? If you're going
0:53:18 > 0:53:26to do something for the wealthiest, you have to make sure that they are
0:53:26 > 0:53:31also carrying a fair burden of revenue that you're bringing in.
0:53:31 > 0:53:39Clamping down on tax avoidance is one of the ways you could do that.
0:53:39 > 0:53:45Doing all that stuff is extremely important. We will certainly look
0:53:45 > 0:53:53at these things. The aim here is common. We do not want people just
0:53:53 > 0:53:58sitting on land and it not been used. The Institute of Fiscal
0:53:58 > 0:54:04Studies looked at for four years at a or system and recommended an
0:54:04 > 0:54:07introduction of Land Value Tax. Frankie both very much.
0:54:07 > 0:54:10The economy and, in particular, growth will no doubt be discussed
0:54:10 > 0:54:13at length at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester this week.
0:54:13 > 0:54:16It is David Cameron's second autumn conference as Prime Minister and he
0:54:16 > 0:54:18will want to show that the Coalition is making progress, but
0:54:18 > 0:54:27also appease his backbenchers. Our political editor Louise Stewart
0:54:27 > 0:54:35joins me now. It is not just backbenchers. A lot of Conservative
0:54:35 > 0:54:39people in the South East and are very unhappy about this. I was
0:54:39 > 0:54:44quite surprised to hear Michael Fallon there. He all but admitted
0:54:44 > 0:54:48that they are struggling to sell this. I think there could be a
0:54:48 > 0:54:55change in the language after the consultation period in October. At
0:54:55 > 0:54:59the moment, you asked him is it worth risking core voters, but we
0:54:59 > 0:55:09have not dissuaded them yet. It is clear that they have not won this
0:55:09 > 0:55:10
0:55:10 > 0:55:15argument. Last year, it appeared that Ed Miliband was may be trying
0:55:15 > 0:55:19to appeal to the left of the party, which might leave the more floating
0:55:19 > 0:55:27middle ground area. Is David Cameron going to try an appeal to
0:55:27 > 0:55:32that? He is troubled by the fact that many people still see the
0:55:32 > 0:55:40Conservative Party as the nasty party. What is not helpful is that
0:55:40 > 0:55:45the liberals tend to grab the higher ground on softer issues.
0:55:45 > 0:55:53What can we expect to hear from David Cameron this week? I think we
0:55:53 > 0:55:57will hear about riots, rights and responsibilities. David Cameron
0:55:57 > 0:56:01will be giving the message that you cannot get something for nothing.
0:56:02 > 0:56:05He will want to talk about immigration, crime, all the things
0:56:05 > 0:56:09that play it well in the Harland and the things that they think the
0:56:09 > 0:56:11Conservative Party moved away from at the last election.
0:56:11 > 0:56:14Louise will be blogging and tweeting from the Conservative