It’s been a busy week in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), with ministers and civil servants working overtime to push through big policy announcements before summer recess.
This culminated with Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, announcing a raft of measures on Monday morning designed to kickstart housebuilding throughout the country. These included:
- launching a £24 million Planning Skills Delivery Fund to clear backlogs and ensure skilled professionals are in post
- setting up a ‘super-squad’ of leading planners and other experts to work across the planning system to unblock major housing developments
- an increase in developer contribution fees to help support high-quality planning
- the introduction of flexibilities to convert shops, takeaways and betting shops into homes
- new powers to extend homes, convert lofts and renovate new buildings
But what does this mean in practice?
Providing much-needed planning resource
The announcement of more planning resource through the Planning Skills Delivery Fund and the planning ‘super-squad’ is a very welcome step. We have been advocating for adequate skills and resource in local authorities to get the planning system moving and high-quality development rolled out.
The emphasis on skills is of particular interest: we know the positive difference that having qualified design expertise involved in the planning process from the earliest possible stage makes to the eventual quality of development. To promote proactive planning, with cohesive design principles and long-lasting development at its heart, ensuring that we have highly skilled planning professionals is vital.
Accompanying these headline measures is a commitment to increase planning fees for developers, which RIBA called for in our response to the recent DLUHC technical consultation on increasing planning fees.
In response to the announcement, Jack Pringle, Chair of the RIBA Board said, “Measures to increase planning resource are welcome and critical to build the homes that we need.”
But is it enough?
New expertise in local planning authorities is desperately needed to clear backlogs – an issue which we know is impacting members. In April’s Future Trends, when asked if delays in the processing of planning applications by planning authorities had caused delays to projects, 47% of respondents reported delays of six months or more, up from 30% in 2021. 22% of respondents also reported having to abandon projects due to delays, up from 7% in 2021.
It is clear that we need to improve the system, and while the Planning Skills Delivery Fund and the investment in a planning ‘super-squad’ are a welcome start, much more needs to be done.
We must address the housing crisis at pace, while prioritising quality, affordability and sustainability. Only by comprehensively resourcing every LPA with qualified design expertise will we face the challenge head-on – and we know the scale of the issue shows no signs of abating.
Proposed changes to Permitted Development Rights
Commercial to residential Permitted Development Rights (PDR) has the potential to undermine the quality and design of new homes. PDR can have a significant impact upon a local authority's ability to control the tenure and quality of the homes being delivered in its area, not to mention upon strategic planning.
Monday’s announcement includes a consultation on PDR, which would make it easier to convert larger department stores, space above shops and office space. In addition to this, it welcomes ‘new freedoms to extend homes, convert lofts and renovate new buildings and will help to convert existing properties into new accommodation’.
This is of clear concern. We know that shaping housing delivery around PDR will have an immediate and profound impact on existing places and communities. It will not guarantee that housing is accompanied by the necessary infrastructure and amenities, or with easy access to essential local services, and it casts doubt that related development would meet the high standards of quality, sustainability and accessibility to which all new homes must be held.
Ensuring a plan-led, rather than piecemeal, approach is vital to ensure a functioning planning system – something that is in direct opposition to rolling out further PDR. While we desperately need new homes, we do not want to sleepwalk into creating a generation of slum housing, sacrificing quality at each turn.
What’s next?
With these announcements only forming a small part of the litany of potential upcoming reforms to the planning system, it’s shaping up to be a hectic summer. Meanwhile, we will be engaging with members, responding to upcoming consultations and promoting the importance of high-quality and sustainable new homes to the government.
Find out more about our policy and public affairs work.
