2024: The year of the Euro 2024 final and potential changes to the planning process

It has been just over a week since we took to the polling stations - and a lot has happened in that time! Football unfortunately did not come home for England’s men’s team (good job the Lionesses brought it home in 2022!) and we have yet another Prime Minister - this time under a new government. Labour had stated in its manifesto that they wanted to “Get Britain building again” - but what does this mean for you?

Speeding Up the Planning Process

Currently, obtaining approval for new homes can take a long time due to a complicated process with lots of red tape. Although the time taken for councils to issue decisions has greatly reduced since the backlogs we found during COVID-19, in some cases councils are still taking way past the recommended 8 weeks.

Labour plans to streamline this process and up decisions. They aim to do this by employing 300 more planning officers to support local authorities.

“Relax greenbelt areas to make a “greybelt land”

This does not mean that every proposed development will be accepted in greenbelt, but what it does mean is any development in greenbelt areas which may have become dilapidated or unkempt, will be reconsidered for the government to reach the target of building 1.5 million more homes. For example; a derelict house is currently sitting in a greenbelt field. There is no way that the current building could be made habitable and the only clear choice is to demolish and rebuild. Currently, unless the development falls under “exceptional circumstances”, the proposed development may be rejected. Under Labour proposals - from what is being reported - this would most likely be considered a valid proposal.

Planning Review

The new chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has also stated that they will look at planning applications that have previously been turned down which has a positive impact on the economy.

Of course, we are just at the very start of this new government, and things take time to take effect. The chancellor has promised to reform the planning system to “deliver the infrastructure that our country needs” and set out the key points in the coming months. As always, we will keep you updated of any new developments and you can always take a look at the government website for the most up-to-date information here or by logging on to the planning portal.