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Planning system “hovering dangerously close to the edge” says report

Under resourced planning authorities in England are taking longer to determine applications under a struggling system finds new research from GL Hearn and the British Property Federation

The average length of time to determine a planning application in England is now 32 weeks according to the findings of the Annual Planning Survey by GL Hearn and the British Property Federation. This is 4 weeks longer than was the case in last year’s report and is more than double the government target of 13 weeks.

“The report shows that there is potentially scope for the private sector to plug this gap, and we urge the government to begin a dialogue with the property industry to see how this might be taken forward,” 

Melanie Leech, chief executive, British Property Federation.

Under resourcing was reported as a significant challenge by 55% of local planning authorities as 75% of planning applicants complained that the process took too long.

“This year’s Annual Planning Survey shows that the planning system needs investment – and that requires action across the board,” said Shaun Andrews, head of investor and developer planning at GL Hearn. “We need to ensure that planning authorities have the right people with the right skills and powers in place to drive forward a growth agenda – and that the system is able to release the right resources when it’s needed. For their part, developers need to speak with a single voice – and make it clear what levels of service they need and how much they are prepared to pay for it.”

The report found that 65% of applicants would be happy to pay more for their applications if it shortened the waiting time.“The report shows that there is potentially scope for the private sector to plug this gap, and we urge the government to begin a dialogue with the property industry to see how this might be taken forward,” said Melanie Leech, chief executive at the BPF.

Andrews too said that new approaches were needed. “'There is an urgent need to find bold new solutions to this shared challenge. Further streamlining of the system may well be part of the solution but to get Britain planning to enable growth requires investment. This is an industry-wide issue that needs us all to collaborate to prevent a poorly functioning planning system stifling economic growth.”

The survey reported its findings regionally and discovered that in London the average time to determine a submission is 34 weeks, compared to 27 weeks in Greater Manchester and Bristol. The volume of applications fell 26% in London but rose 19% in Manchester. “The fact of the matter is that an effective planning system is crucial to enabling regeneration and development, and if government wants to meet the housing challenge and develop the commercial buildings that support our economy, it is going to need to take action,” said Leech. 

If you would like to contact Bernadette Ballantyne about this, or any other story, please email bernadette.ballantyne@infrastructure-intelligence.com:2016-1.