The planning process needs developers, councils and local communities to work together to create effective partnerships. The earlier in the planning process these relationships are built, the more likely it is that positive outcomes will be achieved for local communities from new development.
Key messages
- The planning process needs developers, councils and local communities to work together to create effective partnerships. The earlier in the planning process these relationships are built, the more likely it is that positive outcomes will be achieved for local communities from new development.
- Councils are working hard to use planning effectively to deliver the right kind of homes. However, planning departments are severely under-resourced, and need to be given the flexibility to set appropriate fees to reflect local circumstances.
- Planning is not a barrier to building. Councils are approving 9 in 10 planning applications and last year worked with developers to permission over 350,000 homes, an 11 year high. House builders currently have 423,000 homes with permission that they are still to build.
- We welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the revised draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The revised NPPF must ensure that nationally-prescribed targets for housing do not impact on local community support for development.
- There are clear benefits to a standardised methodology for assessing housing need. However, the Government must ensure that the revised NPPF puts a strong emphasis on plan-making involving communities, in order to create attractive, high quality and sustainable places to live.
- A proactive, well-resourced planning system could do far more to deliver the additional homes the country desperately needs. It could also help to deliver them in ways that meet wider national objectives on infrastructure, public health and the environment.