David Cameron faces 'conservatory rebellion' from councils chiefs Nick Boles, the planning minister, said he thought most councils would be won round but admitted some might not. "I'm not worried at all," he told the BBC. I think there will be a number who feel it's not appropriate for them. I hope that, actually, once we're able to explain exactly what we're intending and go through the consultation process a number of those fears can be allayed. Mr Boles said councils might be able to fight the new rules but said it would not be easy. "It is there as an opportunity for councils who feel that in a particular area a particular rule is particularly ill-suited, but it's not an absolutely straightforward process," he said. They do have to show grounds and, ultimately, the Secretary of State does have the ability to intervene if he feels that those grounds aren't properly presented. Mr Boles, who was criticised for once saying he does not "believe in planning," claimed Richmond was a "special" case because it is an affluent area of the country However, Sutton Council, a less wealthy London borough led by the Liberal Democrats, also challenged the plans last night. Cllr Ruth Dombey, Leader of Sutton Council, said: "These proposals are a recipe for disaster. They have not been properly thought through. She said it would split communities, hit house prices and do nothing to encourage economic group. The Local Government Association also warned that councils must keep the power to "maintain and improve the character and integrity of local areas." Behind the scenes, some Conservative MPs are worried that the plans will divide local communities if it causes a rash of unwanted development. Roberta Blackman-Woods MP, the shadow planning minister, said the plan has "descended into a total shambles." "Just a fortnight ago Eric Pickles announced that this relaxation of planning rules would apply across non-protected areas," she said. Now it's become clear that many councils are very unhappy, the Planning Minister has u-turned and said that it will be for individual councils to decide whether or not to apply them. This shows that ministers are making it up as they go along.