East Devon District Council is to urge the government to consider changing planning law so that unfinished developments are completed sooner.

It follows frustration about developers who sit on sites for which they have planning permission for don’t complete them for years.

Cllr Mike Howe, (Independent, Clyst Vale), vice chair of the strategic planning committee, suggested that developers should be forced to complete projects within a certain timeframe, and if this date was missed then they should face a financial cost or the option to give up their planning permission.

The idea was put to the council’s cabinet, with leader Paul Arnott (Liberal Democrat, Coly Valley) calling it an “excellent idea”.

This means the council will now write to the government asking it to consider the notion.

Unfinished sites can be problematic for councils, causing authorities to miss housing targets.

Furthermore, Section 106 payments from developers that help fund community and social infrastructure, are often paid in instalments when certain milestones are reached. Delays can mean councils don’t receive this money when expected.

Last month, Cllr Howe said he had considered the idea for some time.

“I’ve long held the belief that if an applicant gets planning permission and they make a material start but don’t continue to build, that after three or five years, even if it is not completed, they should have to start paying business rates or council tax,” he said.

“I believe there needs to be a carrot and stick approach as I don’t think developers should be able to sit on a site and not pay any council tax or rates on it.

“And if they don’t want the site any longer, then they should have the option to rescind their planning permission so they don’t have to pay the charges on it.”

Ed Freeman, an assistant director of the council’s planning department, said at the time this was not something the council could pursue by itself, and that legislation would be needed to be able to charge business rates or council tax on buildings that don’t yet exist.