The British Property Federation (BPF) has called for the recruitment and deployment of an extra 3,000 planners to support the English planning system over the next five years, along with a major focus on tackling regulatory blockages, as part of a renewed Plan for Growth.
The extra planners would not only embed the gains afforded by planning reform but also ensure that the opportunities resulting from devolution and local government re-organisation are fully realised. This includes extra capacity to deliver the proposed new spatial development strategies and support the emerging role of Mayors in determining major planning applications.
In the context of a difficult spending climate, these additional planners could be part funded through the re-use of efficiency savings from council re-organisation, the introduction of Mayoral Council Tax precepts and greater cost recovery from applicants.
In addition to 3,000 extra planners, the BPF is also calling for urgent additional resource to be allocated to the Building Safety Regulator, to unlock the delivery of thousands of new homes across the country and prevent the scandal of homes already built that are standing empty. In parallel the BPF offers to work with the Government on a wider review of how smarter, more responsive, regulation can be introduced.
The calls come a year after the BPF published its Building our Future agenda which emphasised the critical role real estate has to play in delivering economic growth, new homes, and attracting investment.
As well as assessing what has been achieved in the Government’s first eight months in office, the Plan for Growth outlines a series of steps and initiatives that could be taken to increase housing delivery, secure greater levels of investment and regenerate high streets and town centres.
The plan also addresses viability challenges, as well as exploring ways to utilise the latent capacity of existing buildings to help generate up to 15GW of clean energy.
The overarching premise of the Plan for Growth is that policy stability and consistency, combined with a supportive political climate, is most likely to ensure that the real estate sector can play a full part in delivering the Government’s agenda.
This is based upon the sector’s proven ability to attract and leverage capital to build homes, offices, data centres, science labs, logistics facilities and retail locations fit for the 21st century.
Other proposed measures in relation to planning include greater digitisation, the adoption of smarter regulation to address viability issues, and a new approach to strategic planning based upon the new model for Mayoral Strategic Authorities and larger-scale unitary authorities.
On housing delivery, the BPF believes that the forthcoming long-term strategy for housing needs to recognise the important role Build to Rent has to play and mandate local planning authorities to assess the need for private rented housing in their local plans.
This includes a provision to include both older people’s housing and Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA). In addition to market supply, the BPF believes that further investment in affordable housing can be unlocked through levelling the playing field between for-profit and non-profit providers, plus implementing a 10-year rent settlement.
On building stronger town centres, the BPF argues that a Town Centre Investment Zone model, maximising the levers available to local partners to rejuvenate prescribed areas, should be used.
Melanie Leech CBE, Chief Executive, British Property Federation, comments: “The Government has moved at pace in its first few months in office, especially on planning reform. This now needs to be matched by a clear long-term plan to maximise the real estate sector’s full economic, social and environmental potential.
“Planning reform remains fundamental to delivering the Government’s agenda and must be matched by additional capacity to deliver this. An additional 3,000 planners need to be deployed across England to help unlock the full potential of the system changes. On top of this we need urgent action to provide extra resource to key bodies like the Building Safety Regulator, where delays are currently holding back the delivery and occupation of thousands of homes across the country for up to a year.
“We also invite the Government to work with us to tackle further regulatory barriers and to address current viability challenges. With this partnership, our plan will help secure the future of our high streets, help to deliver new homes of all tenures, and could generate 25% of the UK’s future clean energy needs.”
