Responding to the Government’s new proposals for reforming planning committee processes, Harry Steele, Programme Director for Planning and Development at BusinessLDN, said:
“Speeding up the planning system is vital to delivering the Government’s growth mission. These changes will go some way to help improve its reliability and free up some capacity by enabling planning committees to focus on large, complex applications, rather than getting bogged down in straightforward schemes that already comply with local development plans. Introducing training for planning committees should also help to improve the quality of decision-making.
“Whilst this is a small step in the right direction, more action is needed to ensure the planning system backs the builders and not the blockers. This includes ensuring that cash-strapped local authorities are properly resourced to process applications efficiently and taking a more pragmatic approach to planning requirements, particularly when it comes to affordable housing.”