Taylor Scott International News
The British Property Federation has welcomed the majority of the changes announced in the autumn financial statement by the UK Chancellor but expressed disappointment that there was no mention of a review of planning fees. ‘While there are some really sensible suggestions in today’s announcement, the planning system still has one big problem, the lack of resources in local authority planning departments,’ said Melanie Leech, chief executive of the BPF. ‘Both the private and public sector have identified this as one of the biggest obstacles for development, and with the private sector willing to discuss how it might be able to plug the funding gap, it is frustrating that Government has not engaged on this matter,’ she added. Included in the statement was amendments to planning policy to ensure the release of unused and previously undeveloped commercial, retail and industrial land for Starter Homes, and support for the regeneration of previously developed, brownfield sites in the greenbelt, by allowing them to be developed in the same way as brownfield sites elsewhere, providing it delivers Starter Homes. It will be subject to local consultation, such as through neighbourhood plans and Leech described it as a ‘very sensible step’ and one that will put a stop to endless battles in the planning regime as well as bringing forward the Government’s intended 200,000 Starter Homes. ‘The sites that will be eligible for this will not be lush green fields, but rather disused scrap yards and car parks which happen to sit within the Green Belt, and which are calling out to be more productively used,’ she pointed out. There will also be the establishment of a new delivery test on local authorities, to ensure delivery against the number of homes set out in Local Plans. The BPF believes that Local Plans are the key to sustainable development. Leech said it will ensure that local authorities really do concentrate on growth for their area and that their local plans are focused on delivery and the practicalities of housing the population. ‘The lack of resources afflicting local authority planning departments is an issue, and if authorities can keep their local plans kept short and sharp, they will help themselves,’ she added. The changes will also see the release of public sector land with capacity for 160,000 homes representing a more than 50% increase on the government’s record in the last parliament ‘The homes that are brought forward on these sites must be serviced with sufficient infrastructure and will ideally have homes for sale and for rent, to ensure that they contribute to mixed, vibrant communities,’ said Leech. The government will bring forward proposals for a more standardised approach to viability assessments, and extend the ability to appeal against unviable section 106 agreements to 2018. It is well known that a lot of disagreement between local authorities and developers arise due to viability assessments so the move towards a standardised viability model should go a long way to… Taylor Scott International
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