HBF figures show the need to address planning process as well as policy
In the week the Government is scheduled to announce a new Planning Policy Statement on Housing, new figures released today by the Home Builders Federation show the need to address key issues on planning process alongside the planning policy framework. HBF’s figures show that:
Local authorities take on average 248 days – nearly nine months – to issue planning approval after the submission of an application. The DCLG performance target for major applications is for 60% of applications to be determined in 91 days.
This process includes an average delay of 17 days between the submission of an application and registration. The statutory target is 24 hours.
It takes on average 475 days - over a year and three months – from the submission of an application to developers starting on site.
The HBF research was conducted on a sample of 580 sites from 24 companies. It is the first of its kind to be published by the industry. It also shows that:
There is an average delay of 98 days - over three months - between a committee resolution to grant permission and the issuing of the decision notice.
Appeals take an average of 309 days – over 10 months – from being lodged to a decision being received.
Stewart Baseley, Executive Chairman of the Home Builders Federation states: “At a time when Britain faces the most acute housing shortage since the industrial revolution, we are seeing significant and systemic delays in the planning process.
“The Government will this week be announcing a new Planning Policy Statement for Housing. We hope and believe this will give welcome emphasis to the need to ensure sufficient land comes forward to meet our housing requirements. HBF’s figures show, however, that there are some key areas of the planning process that need to be targeted to make it more efficient and effective.
“The industry is capable of achieving the step-change in housing provision that the country requires, but it needs planning policy and process to be pulling in the same direction if the full potential of the Government’s housing policy objectives is to be realised. We look forward to discussing with all the main parties involved how we can improve processes in the important areas our research has identified.”
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Notes for Editors
The Home Builders Federation (HBF) is the principal trade federation for private sector home builders and voice of the home building industry in England and Wales. The HBF’s 300 member firms account for over 80% of all new homes built in England and Wales in any one year, and include companies of all sizes, ranging from multi-national, household names through regionally based businesses to small local companies: www.hbf.co.uk
HBF’s research was conducted on a sample of 580 sites from 24 companies. All the sites were in the planning system over the last three years, although some started out earlier. Site size ranged between one house up to a scheme for 1500 dwellings. The average size of development was 100 dwellings.
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Toby Orr
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toby.orr@portlandpr.co.uk