Comment: ‘Planning system no longer fit for purpose’

William Poole-Wilson, founder of workplace design and strategy architects, WILL+Partners

We labour under a planning system which, love it or loath it, is no longer fit for purpose.

However, local authorities have insufficient resources to dedicate to an expensive planning system that has built up a level of bureaucracy which means that large applications need to be delivered in a van.

At present, most local planning authorities don’t have the technical competency to know whether a design is missing an opportunity or has a technical flaw.

Therefore, some significant upskilling will be needed to help ensure that all major projects are vetted on a like-for-like basis nationally, helping to remove inconsistencies in the system.

Saghir Hussain, architect and director, Create It Studios,

Reforming the planning system is something the property industry has been calling for for quite some time. Faster planning applications will make developments more viable for SME developers and investors. In recent years we have seen too many projects stall because of the rising cost of construction and the increased cost of delivering a project between submitting an application and the time it takes to receiving consent.

With planning fees going up 25 per cent in December, it will be increasingly important for developers to know that the submissions their architects are making for them will be addressed as quickly as possible, so that they can get on with delivering much needed homes.

My biggest concern though is that, while councils will be keen to avoid losing fees by missing deadlines, nothing has been done to address the reason why applications are taking so long – the shortage of planning officers within councils up and down the country.

What we don’t want to see is councils rejecting plans simply because they don’t have the people power to properly investigate complex applications.

Cara Jenkinson, cities manager, Ashden

With just a few days to go till COP28, the chancellor has once again missed an opportunity to show leadership on climate action. After rolling back on net zero targets last month, there has been a stony silence on energy efficiency – leaving people exposed to cold homes and high bills. The energy efficiency industry once again faces an uncertain future, jeopardising the chance to create decent jobs across the country.

Although Jeremy Hunt put forward support for green industry in his speech, the elephant in the room once again is energy efficiency – despite it being one of the quickest, easiest and least costly things we could do to improve people’s lives. Why would a chancellor not do this?

A long-term investment in energy efficiency now would reduce our exposure to volatile gas prices, cut the cost of expensive upgrades to our energy grid, and improve the mental and physical health of millions of people facing fuel poverty.

Simon McWhirter, deputy chief executive, UKGBC

The government heard the furious backlash to its green policy rollback last month; and this was a chance to realise scale of their error by shoring up protections for struggling households and small businesses and get energy bills and carbon emissions under control.

New permitted development rights mustn’t leave people crammed into unsuitably small spaces without natural light

It’s not that the government hasn’t been presented with the ideas to address the problem. Industry has been offering oven-ready policy proposals such as modernising Stamp Duty with a ‘rebate to renovate’ incentive for households that would accelerate home insulation, cut our reliance on polluting fossil fuels, and motivate people to switch to low carbon heating and install solar panels – all while also ‘backing British businesses’ by creating a large-scale, long-term retrofit market to support industry and deliver skilled jobs throughout the country. We hope it will be announced in the Spring Budget.

Changing permitted development rights to allow buildings to be converted into flats could boost available housing. But these conversions mustn’t leave people crammed into unsuitably small spaces without natural light and they must meet decent standards of insulation and ventilation as well as low carbon heating.

Victoria Hills, chief executive, Royal Town Planning Institute

The chancellor of the exchequer has emphasised the importance of planning in his Autumn Statement. By giving planning the time and significance it deserves, it is a recognition that, when appropriately resourced, planning is an enabler, not a blocker to unlocking the economic, environmental, and societal gains of the country.

Investments such as Local Authority Housing fund and planning backlog funding are welcome. We eagerly await further information on this funding. A full cost recovery of planning applications for businesses will be a step toward providing local planning authorities with the essential resources they need to help both communities and businesses thrive. We estimate 15 per cent of planning applications that local planning authorities process come from businesses.

This is a step towards providing councils with the funding and resources they need

Nutrient and Water Neutrality is holding up an estimated 100,000 homes and putting the future of small and medium-sized developers at risk for a problem that is due to both agricultural pollution and existing sewage. We have been advocating for the government to address this issue for a long time and we are pleased to see that they have recognised the problem and invested in resolving it.

The Institute and our members will begin considering consultations on new uses of public development rights for duplex conversions and heat pumps, which can serve a delivery purpose but may reduce the quality of homes. We will also consider the NPPF’s impact on electric vehicles.

Colin Wood, chief executive, AECOM Europe and India

The chancellor billed this as a pro-growth Statement. However, with current strains on the public purse and the potential to re-stoke inflation, the likelihood of significant investment in infrastructure was always limited. Even so, the lack of any new meaningful investment to boost the UK’s pipeline is disappointing. Infrastructure is after all, the foundation for wider economic growth.

The lack of meaningful infrastructure investment is disappointing

Decarbonisation will be the built environment sector’s defining opportunity for growth. Decarbonisation of the UK’s building stock will play a critical role in reaching net zero. With no dedicated new measures to support this transition and with the private sector expected to take the lead, the certainty of full tax relief on plant and machinery investment provides some support.

The £960 million for a Green Industries Growth Accelerator is welcome investment that will support the growth of clean energy supply chains. Advancing the production of clean energy solutions is vital for boosting the UK’s energy independence and today’s new funding is an encouraging commitment from government that shows it recognises the long-term value of supporting these fledgling green industries and their export potential.

The planning issues plaguing the UK’s energy transition are holding back progress towards net zero and are a microcosm of the challenges within the broader system. We’re encouraged by the steps announced today to speed up the delivery of infrastructure and create more certainty for investors and developers.