Our members play an important part in the UK's planning system, contributing at all stages. On the wholesale side, our members provide essential capital, investment, professional advice, and insurance to get major projects built. On the retail side, they make a real difference to families and small businesses by helping them save for the future, invest in their homes and manage business risks.
Given our close involvement, we have taken a keen interest in the government's plans to significantly reform the planning system. Last year, we submitted evidence to the review of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and more recently responded to the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill . Both submissions outlined three key principles we believe the government should follow in its approach to planning reform:
Resource: Local planning authorities are under-resourced and unable to handle the increasing complexities of planning applications. Our members are already taking steps to address this. For example, Aviva has committed seed funding to a programme that will train and upskill council planners to boost the long-term capacity of the planning system in councils across the UK. However, government action is also required to create a long-term pipeline of talent in the system.
Predictability: A lack of consistency between (and within) local planning authorities is creating uncertainty and unpredictability in decision-making. One way to maximize the value added by England's new metro mayor model would be to explore allowing mayors to designate zones with a much greater presumption of planning approval. The UK's current planning regime of application and appeal is an international outlier, and its delivery has presented challenges to the building of homes and infrastructure.
Efficiency: To make the UK more attractive to investors and facilitate investment decisions, the planning process needs to prioritize efficiency and timely decisions. One mechanism to achieve this would be to streamline the statutory consultation process, with a greater assumption of assent from consultees who do not reply to local authorities within deadlines.
As the Planning and Infrastructure Bill moves through Parliament we will continue to work with our members and policymakers to ensure our recommendations are considered. With the right reforms, our planning system could move from being a barrier to growth to a positive reason to invest in Britain.
