Property consultancy Fisher German’s has predicted for planning applications to rise in the next 12-18 months amidst Labour’s revision of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
Angela Brooks, a planning partner at the firm, said that while she expects this to result in more appeals due to local resistance to the government’s ambitious housing targets of 300,000 per year, we will ultimately see a vast increase in the homes being delivered.
Changes to the NPPF include the restoration of the five-year housing land supply, reversing the previous governments four-year supply threshold for authorities where plans were advanced to certain stage.
Now authorities with a plan over five years old will need to use the new housing targets, leading many areas to face an immediate land supply shortfall, engaging the presumption in favour of development. Naturally in such scenarios, authorities will likely be flooded with speculative planning applications.
Planning is always an emotive topic, and applicants are likely to face a high volume of refusals, many of which will be followed by appeals.
Fisher German said we can also expect to see plenty of challenges to Green and Grey Belt schemes, as well as the ‘Golden Rules’ which require schemes to contribute to necessary infrastructure improvements, green spaces and, most notably, higher levels of affordable housing.
These requirements are already leading to viability arguments, consuming valuable officer resource and lengthening decision-making.
Whilst some authorities are already adapting to the changes and approving grey belt proposals, some local resistance remains.
We will likely see increased government interventions to boost housing delivery, minimise costly appeal processes, and send a message to local authorities to approve schemes that will ultimately be allowed on appeal.
An example of this occurred in November when the government called in an application for an 8,400-home scheme in Kent just hours before it was due to be heard at the planning committee, having been recommended for refusal.
