The government has announced fast track planning applications to speed up the planning process and boost housebuilding across the country.
Ministers want pilot schemes in fast track planning applications to tackle the lack of incentive for councils to improve and speed up their planning services – which can lead to “drawn out applications and local frustration” for both housebuilders and individual applicants.
The government has announced councils will compete to process planning applications – and be able to offer fast track application services, like those available for obtaining a passport, in a shake up of the planning process under proposals out to consultation from Thursday (18/02/16).
The proposals are expected to boost housebuilding and speed up the planning application process.
Communities Secretary Greg Clark said:
“Council planning departments play a vital role in getting local housebuilding off the ground – but for too long they have had no incentive to get things done quickly or better, resulting in drawn out applications and local frustration.
“These proposals will be a boost for housebuilders looking to build much needed new homes for hard working families and first time buyers – and for local people looking to get a planning permission for home improvements through their local council quicker.”
Planning Minister Brandon Lewis added:
“Many councils are already working hard to improve the services they offer their residents – and across the country, people’s satisfaction levels remain high.
“Now we want to go further by setting out these ambitious proposals to link any future increases in application fees to councils’ performance – and testing more competition including through offering dedicated fast track application services.”
The government points out that, historically, councils have had a closed market in handling planning applications, with limited incentive for innovation and efficiency.
However, research studies over the last three decades in the UK and abroad suggest there are cost savings of up to one-fifth for competitively tendered or shared services.
A consultation on the competition pilots and fast track services has been published, which also includes proposals to make any future increases in councils’ fees for processing planning applications dependent on their performance, in terms of speed and quality of decisions.
Further details on how the pilots will run will be published after the consultation has closed.
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