COLCHESTER Council is set to object to planning rule changes which they say would result in the “destruction” of the system.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick’s Planning for the Future White Paper is set to bring about huge changes to the planning system in a bid to rip up the red tape in the planing system and increase the number of homes built.

The Government’s ambition is to get Britain building 300,000 new homes a year and to reach that goal, ministers plan to scrap some existing planning regulations.

At the same time there will be a review of the housing target formula, which decides how many homes each area needs to build each year.

Early analysis from experts shows under the new rules, Colchester’s target would almost double - from 920 to 1,612.

However, many people living in the borough say the infrastructure - including the roads and medical facilities - cannot cope now and would collapse under the weight of hundreds of more homes a year.

Colchester Council leader Mark Cory has put forward a motion calling on the council to object to the plans.

He is also asking the borough’s three MPs - Will Quince, Priti Patel and Sir Bernard Jenkin - to support its response.

Mr Cory’s motion says: “Current planning laws are already in favour of development with 90 per cent of planning applications approved and approximately one million unbuilt permissions sitting with developers.

“Proposals outlined in the Planning White Paper Planning for the Future further distance local residents and local democracy from the planning process.”

The motion argues council should be given more power and resources to deal with applications.

It said: “The proposals contained within the White Paper will diminish the role of planning authorities, planning committee members and ward councillors.

“Automatic permission granted in growth areas and permission in principle in renewal areas, give no democratic oversight of local development.

“While the current planning system is not perfect, this is at least in part due to reductions in central government funding to local planning authorities which have, in turn, led to local authorities reducing expenditure on planning services.

“Such reductions have affected both the processing of planning applications and enforcement activities.”

The motion calls for ways to strengthen the council’s position when calling for more affordable housing and implement a earlier target for net-zero carbon standards for new build housing.

The motion will be debated at a full council meeting tomorrow.