Industry reacts to new Government planning guidance

The government has moved to streamline the property planning process, with the introduction of new national online planning guidance.

Nick Boles, Planning Minister for the UK, has announced the launch of a new online national planning guide, which aims to cut a large proportion of red tape that surrounds property planning.

Following an external review, ministers proposed a new streamlined planning practice that will provide the support for growth and creation of jobs and homes that the country needs.

The proposals also aim to provide clearer protections for our natural and historic environment by giving power back to communities who are generally best placed to make local decisions.

Speaking from an industry point of view, James Bloom, Chief Executive at Regentsmead, said: “Any changes to planning intended to streamline the process are welcome given that it is currently a bureaucratic, time consuming exercise. However as with all of these initiatives the devil is in the detail and it will be this which determines whether it makes any difference to the planning regulations or procedures.

“As an example we were told that the planning rules were changing on offices so you could convert them to residential without planning, it turns out that most councils have applied for exemption from these rules and in some cases planning will still be required. Also there are strict criteria that have to be met so the practice is not nearly as simple as the theory.

“We are a property owner as well as a development lender and from personal experience we know that planning is laborious and often illogical, in my opinion until they change the committee system planning will always be political and subject to the NIMBY factor!

“This must change radically if we are to see a major overhaul and simplification of the planning system.

“Let us hope that these new measures do assist in some way but the jury is out!”

Also commenting on the launch of a new planning guidance website, Aldermore's Commercial Mortgages Managing Director Rob Lankey said:

"I welcome the news today that Planning Minister Nick Boles has launched a pilot of a new streamlined planning guidance website. For years, one of the most fundamental issues in the house building industry has been the red tape and bureaucracy surrounding the planning process. There is a chronic shortage of housing and streamlining the planning process is key to increasing the number of houses being built.

"Although there is still a long way to go, this move will be welcomed by the house building industry and is a step in the right direction."

The new and easy to use web pages of advice set out guidance on a range of issues including:
•    a new affordability test for determining how many homes should be built
•    opening up planning appeal hearings to be filmed
•    discouraging councils from introducing a new parking tax on people’s driveways and parking spaces
•    encourage more town centre parking spaces and end aggressive ‘anti-car’ traffic calming measures like speed bumps
•    housing for older people - councils should build more bungalows and plan positively for an ageing population
•    new neighbourhood planning guidance to help more communities start their own plans
•    new local green space guidance to help councils and local communities to plan for open space and protect local green spaces which are special to them

Speaking on the launch, Nick Boles, Planning Minister, said: “Planning shouldn’t just be the preserve of technocrats, lawyers and council officers. Yet up to now even the experts have struggled to plough through all the background documents and find the right advice. To be effective our planning system needs to be supported by practical guidance that anyone can consult and follow.

“Having stripped away outdated advice, our new user friendly website brings together a simplified set of clear, concise guidance and publishes it altogether in one place. This will make the planning system much easier to navigate for everyone involved.”
The launch follows an external review that looked into streamlining some 7,000 pages of practice guidance which explains statutory provisions, planning and the planning system. A vast amount of the material included very outdated documents – some going back to the 1960s – which have been superseded.