The Future of Planning

In our last post we gave a brief overview of what the planning process typically entails. In this post we look ahead to new Government proposals and what this will mean for communities.

Our current state

We’re all aware of the headlines telling us the shortage of affordable housing in cities across the UK and this is acutely felt in the city we’re based in, London. Long planning processes, poor construction methods and materials, and high demand have created a perfect storm - rising house prices and a volatile rental market which impacts low income, marginalised and underrepresented communities the hardest.  

Last year, approximately 241,000 new homes were built across England, falling short of the government's target of 300,000 homes per year. Following the impact of COVID-19, and continued fears surrounding Brexit, we can safely assume that this trend is expected to continue, and we will likely see less homes built this year than last year. Affordable, well built housing is clearly badly needed, yet the bureaucracy that stands in its way seems like an antithesis to progress. 

So, the UK Government is proposing to rewrite the English planning system. In the introduction to the recently published whitepaper, the Prime Minister writes: ‘Thanks to our planning system, we have nowhere near enough homes in the right places. People cannot afford to move to where their talents can be matched with opportunity. Businesses cannot afford to grow and create jobs. The whole thing is beginning to crumble and the time has come to do what too many have for too long lacked the courage to do – tear it down and start again’. 

The paper also acknowledges that there is not enough focus on design, and little incentive within the process to bring forward proposals that are beautiful, high quality, and which enhance the environment, physical and mental health, and character of local areas.  It recognises that the places we exist affect us deeply and impact our sense of security, purpose and wellbeing. 

What the government is proposing

We’ve pulled out some areas from the White Paper that caught our attention:

Create Local Plans that set clear rules rather than general policies for development. 

Once a national policy is developed the Government are looking to Local Authorities to draw up Local Plans that identify site- and area-specific requirements under three main categories: ‘Growth areas suitable for substantial development, and where outline approval for development would be automatically secured for forms and types of development specified in the Plan; Renewal areas suitable for some development, such as gentle densification; and Protected areas where – as the name suggests – development is restricted’. Alongside locally produced design codes, the aim is that this would scale back the detail and duplication contained in Local Plans and encourage a greater focus on design quality at the local level.

Fast tracking planning approval

In areas designated as ‘growth’ (areas suitable for substantial development), outline approval for development would be automatically secured for forms and types of development specified in the Plan. Under these local plans Councils will be blocked from denying planning permission in areas designated for growth in the hope that this will speed up the development to reach the 300k new homes a year target.

User Experience

Many of our clients are well aware of how tricky planning systems and portals can be. Good news, the government want to improve the user experience of the planning system, to make planning information easier to find and understand, and make it appear in the places that discussions are happening, for example in digital neighbourhood groups and social networks

Planning Time Limits

The Government wants to hold local authorities accountable and provide create a clear incentives for local planning authorities to determine applications within the statutory time limits. This could involve the automatic refund of the planning fee for the application if they fail to determine it within the time limit or offering applicants who have been refused permission an automatic rebate of their planning application fee if they are successful at appeal.

Permitted Development

The Government wants to go further than the steps they have already taken this summer and increase the breadth and depth of what will be allowed under permitted development. Their aim here is to enable developments that are popular and easily replicated to be approved easily and quickly, helping to support ‘gentle intensification’ of our towns and cities, but in accordance with important local design codes and principles. However, prior approval from the local planning authority would still be needed for aspects of the design to ensure the development is right for its context (such as materials), as well as for other important planning considerations such as avoidance of flood risk and securing safe access. 

Initial thoughts

We believe that there is definitely work to be done to ensure that national and local planning policies serves the best interests and meets the demands of the community it serves, and we welcome a deeper look at the changes that can be made to improve this experience.  

We hope that any changes to policy and legislation bring more transparency, remove unnecessary bureaucratic steps, and encourage beautiful and functional design to the betterment of communities. 

We are passionate about quality housing for all, not some. Research by CPRE suggests that three quarters of housing developments should not have been granted planning permission due to poor or mediocre design quality, and we would hate to see that statistic worsen through policies geared towards generating greater volumes of housing.  Removing red tape should not equate to reducing quality.

Local communities, Architects, and Planners will need to hold each other to account to ensure that local plans, houses built and infrastructure created meet the affordability and quality demands to ease the challenges faced in UK cities, especially as communities adjust to new ways of living and working in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Time will tell us whether any real change materialises for the communities that need it most.