Partner Article

Automatic Planning Consent is Tip of the Iceburg

The Government’s latest proposal to introduce automatic planning consents on brownfield land is a welcome addition to policy designed to speed up housing delivery. However leading UK commercial real estate advisor Bilfinger GVA believes this only addresses a small part of the challenge we face as a nation to deliver 240,000 homes per annum.

A new policy document entitled ’Fixing the Foundations: ‘Creating a More Prosperous Nation’ published by the Government this week states that the UK has been incapable of building enough homes to keep up with the rising demand. This harms productivity and restricts labour market flexibility. In response the Government is proposing that automatic planning permission will be granted on brownfield sites, subject to a limited number of technical details. This will give England a ‘zonal system’ for such sites, which it argues will reduce unnecessary delay and uncertainty.

Commenting on the proposals, Richard Walters, Director, Planning Development and Regeneration team at Bilfinger GVA Manchester commented: “The Government has clearly listened to industry concerns focused upon achieving more effective delivery of housing. We are pleased to see the commitment to bring forward brownfield land for redevelopment and willingness to intervene in local plans which, where delayed, have become obstacles to local growth.

“But if we are to build some 240,000 new homes per year to meet national demand, the redevelopment of suitable brownfield sites is only part of the answer. There will be a parallel requirement to make difficult choices over releasing appropriate greenfield and Green Belt sites for housing and other uses. Kicking the can down the road on this issue will not address the current housing crisis and neither will it assist in raising economic productivity.

Furthermore, the Government needs to consider how it might help with viability concerns in relation to some brownfield sites, for example, to address high remediation costs. Automatic planning consents may remove one barrier, but it still remains a real challenge in some areas to secure high quality, commercially viable development without financial support. It follows that we must have both brownfield and greenfield sites released, and at a much faster pace, than we have seen in the past decade.“

Other proposals to free up the planning system, include changes to the local plan process to speed up implementation and improve co-operation between local authorities. There will also be new legislation to allow major infrastructure projects with an element of housing to apply through the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Regime (NSIP); greater devolution of powers over land to the mayors in London and Manchester and proposals for stronger compulsory purchase order powers to bring forward brownfield land.

For further information please contact Richard Walters at Bilfinger GVA at richard.walters@gva.co.uk or visit www.gva.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by GVA .