The government confirmed its “presumption in favour of sustainable development” approach to planning in the Budget announcements and its Plan for Growth paper. <br> <br> Greg Clark, minister of state for decentralisation, advised local authorities to “press ahead without delay in preparing up-to-date development plans.” <br> <br> Government also said it would write to local authorities in order to renegotiate planning obligations, thus allowing stalled development to continue. <br> <br> It was confirmed that the national planning policy framework would be finalised by the end of 2011. Industry was also told that neighbourhood plans would “be able to shape development but not block it.” <br> <br> Other reforms included proposals to make office to home conversions a simpler process. <br> <br> These announcements came in the wake of a CLG committee report that accused government of creating a “vacuum at the heart” of the planning system by scrapping housing targets and that, as a result, fewer homes were being built. <br> <br>