Study highlights factors influencing residential planning performance

Social homes and ‘prestige’ residential schemes tend to go through development control faster than other residential proposals on major English housing sites, according to the biggest survey of its kind.

That finding was highlighted in a study commissioned from Reading University by the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit (NHPAU).

Other results from the survey showed that development control time increases with the size of development (measured by number of homes) but overall takes less time per dwelling built. Time is not affected by other scheme features.

The researchers also found that the development control process takes longer in more affluent localities and where there are hung councils.

The study investigated the time taken to obtain planning consent to develop major housing sites (10 or more homes) in England in 2005 and 2006. Data was collected on more than 900 sites in 45 local authorities and a small qualitative analysis was carried out with a sub-set of local authorities.

The research indicated that determination of planning permissions for development that actually occurs takes significantly longer than the 13-week planning application target in most cases – with a median of 30 weeks and a mean of 43 weeks.

The report pointed out that slow and uncertain development control can lead to increases in housebuilders' land banks. It said it also limits start-ups of new housing providers and constrains the ability of existing ones to expand.

Neil McDonald, chief executive of the NHPAU, said: "There is a lot of anecdote and assertion about how long planning approval takes and why some sites take longer than others. This study provides hard evidence to enable us to have a much better understanding of the variability in approval times. It deserves careful consideration by all involved in planning for housing.”

The report: Housing supply and planning controls - the impact of planning control processing times on housing supply in England, is available here.

Roger Milne
4 February 2010