As a “consequence”, Stevenage must now consider planning applications under a “presumption in favour of sustainable development”. The change means councillors must give more weight to national housing needs than local considerations. The MHCLG said the council “should approve applications for housing unless there are clear reasons not to”. What are the consequences? Labour council leader Sharon Taylor OBE compared the intervention to another government planning policy, “permitted development”, which came into force in 2015. It entitled developers to turn office blocks into flats without council permission. “We have seen some horrendous examples of that,” said Cllr Taylor. "You end up with appalling quality housing. Not all developers do that. But at its worst, that is what it can mean.