The CBI is calling on the Government to mark the consultation to
the National Planning Policy Framework as the ‘start of their
ambition' to reform the planning system.
Publishing it's new Planning for Growth report,
the CBI has identified a series of recommendations to accelerate
building projects, boost connections and drive economic growth by
going beyond the areas for consultation put forward in the
NPPF.
Businesses in sectors as diverse as energy, construction, retail
and manufacturing have all pointed to burdensome planning
processes as a reason for stopping, pausing, or delaying critical
investments in the UK.
The overall effect is of a system that prioritises bureaucracy
over delivery, undermines investor and contractor confidence, and
acts as a handbrake on economic growth. Concerns have also been
raised about significant inconsistencies and variations in
planning practices and procedures based on local politics.
Ahead of the Autumn Budget, the CBI is calling on the government
to adopt a UK-wide Planning for Growth Strategy, implemented in
partnership with devolved governments, that will provide cohesion
and consistency across the planning system, based on the
following principles:
-
Allow Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to bring in
locally determined and ringfenced planning fees. This
will make the system more flexible, more aligned to local need,
and more able to consider factors such as project complexity,
scale, and local economic conditions. It will also ensure
revenue generated from planning applications directly supports
the planning process.
-
Allow applicants to pay for independent consultants
employed by LPAs for major applications. This will
empower councils to access specialist expertise, expedite
decision-making, and sustain a strong project pipeline while
ensuring transparency and recovering costs.
-
Pilot the use of Local Planning Hubs that can advise
LPAs on major infrastructure applications (as well as major
housing developments). This would allow LPAs to import
the knowledge and expertise required to process major
applications crucial to delivering national housing and
net-zero targets.
-
Promote greater public-private partnership for
brownfield site development by using public investment
to incentivise the private sector to deliver cleanup and
regenerate. This reduces the overall burden on the public purse
and promotes faster redevelopment that can benefit communities
and stimulate growth.
A full set of recommendations is contained within the
attached report.
, CBI Chief Policy and
Campaigns Officer, said:
“Putting planning reform at the top of the in-tray represents a
real statement of intent from the new government and their
prioritisation of growth as the defining mission of the
parliament.
“Unlocking private investment is the catalyst for the
productivity gains needed to deliver long-term sustainable
growth. But right now, delays in the planning system are putting
a handbrake on investment and growth. It's too slow, too
cumbersome, and too bureaucratic for the country's needs. At its
worst, it creates a system where development is seen as an
outcome to be avoided rather than an objective to strive
for.
"The approval of data centres, the reclassification of onshore
wind, and the consultation on the National Planning Policy
Framework have all provided some early momentum behind the agenda
for change. But this should mark the start of the government's
ambition, rather than the finish.
“With the Autumn Budget fast approaching, there is an opportunity
to double down on the ambition to transform the planning system
from an economic millstone to an economic multiplier. By focusing
on consistency, simplicity and resourcing, the CBI's Planning
for Growth report sets out how the Government can create a
system that is smoother, swifter and better calibrated to attract
the private capital needed to spread prosperity across every
corner of the country.”
