Planning overhaul announced

Wednesday, 26 March 2008 12:00 AM

A radical red tape busting review of the planning system for England and Wales has been announced by the government.

Launching the initiative, communities secretary Hazel Blears, business secretary John Hutton and housing minister Caroline Flint said the assessment would seek to weed out bureaucratic hurdles and create a more efficient planning service for the public and business.

While reform to the planning system is already underway - aiming to give communities a greater say in a faster decision-making process for large infrastructure projects - the new review will look at the next challenge of improving the planning application process from start to finish.

At present some 75 per cent of local authorities meet their planning targets, up from 25 per cent in 2001, but it is hoped the proposed changes will make the planning system more user friendly.

"People often say they find the process of getting planning permission confusing and bureaucratic," explained Ms Flint.

"By modernising the system and using new technology we can save everyone time and money and deliver the kind of effective and responsive planning service people deserve."

The review 'Planning Applications: a faster and more responsive system' will examine some of the following areas:

• Unnecessary duplication of paperwork in the application process.
• Delays occurring even after permission has been granted because pre-build conditions like construction schedules and legal steps are not being resolved quickly.
• Councils making better use of technology like the internet to notify people about planning applications, in addition to more traditional ways of telling the public such as in libraries and on notice boards.

Planning Aid funding is being doubled to £3.2 million for 2008, allowing more people to benefit from free independent advice to help them comment on proposals, make representations at inquiries, or submit a good planning application.

"The planning system is how we shape our future and we want to make it greener, more efficient and more empowering for local communities," added Ms Blears.

"Good progress is being made but we want to create a more user friendly system."

It is hoped the proposed changes will go so way toward alleviating the housing red tape which some industry insiders consider stifling to development.

"If Britain is to have any hope of sustaining its economic growth, the planning system needs to stop looking for reasons to block and delay development, and start delivering the land required for the construction of the homes and infrastructure that this country needs, and its people deserve," said Brian Berry, director of external affairs, at the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

"If the government doesn't get to grips with planning reform, it has no chance at all of meeting the housing targets it announced only last summer."

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