Delivering economic growth through Place
Planning – Gavin Hall, Savills
15 December 2011
savills.co.uk
ThemeDelivering economic growth through Place
Identifying the opportunities and barriers that exist - Planning
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The Planning Myth Planning Delays Cost £3 Billion
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Planning Delays
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The Planning Myth - MythbustingThe Fightback Begins
Mythbusting
• September 2011 - launch of the ‘nationwide myth-busting campaign’
• November 2011 - CLG Select Committee – evidence on the NPPF
• Asked for a view on the £3bn cost of delay repeatedly used by Ministers
•The RTPI reveal their findings...
Mythbusting
What are the Myths
Why is Planning at the Bottom of all Regeneration Evil?
1.The Default Answer to a Planning Application is ‘No’
2.Planning is Slow
3.Planning is Costly
4.Planning is a Drag on Economic Growth
5.Planning Forces up House Prices
Mythbusting
What are the Myths
Why is Planning at the Bottom of all Regeneration Evil?
1.The Default Answer to a Planning Application is ‘No’
2.Planning is Slow
3.Planning is Costly
4.Planning is a Drag on Economic Growth
5.Planning Forces up House Prices
6....why did I become a planner!!!
Planning
• We all recognise the need for planning
Planning
• We all recognise the need for planning
Planning
• We all recognise the need for planning
Planning
• We all recognise the need for planning
Planning
• We all recognise the need for planning
Planning
• We all recognise the need for planning
Back to Mythbusting
• What are the myths and what lessons can we learn?
1. The Default Answer to a Planning Application is ‘No’ – certain control is not a bad thing
2.Planning is Slow – it is important to be done right
3.Planning is Costly – good planning takes time and costs money for good results
4.Planning is a Drag on Economic Growth – planning can ensure economic growth
5.Planning Forces up House Prices – planning permission or refusal???
Good Planning can help: Protect; raise economic growth; enhance communities; and will hopefully be there for a long time...
But does it need to be more flexible. How can this be harnessed?
Mythbusting
1. The Default Answer to a Planning Application is ‘No’
The powerful presumption in favour of sustainable development
Evidence and Defence:
The presumption in favour of development
Has it ever changed? Statistics.
Good planning is about “enabling the right development in the right place at the right time”
and
“preventing inadequate, poorly located and untimely schemes” or ... Planning Chaos
Lesson: Agree areas of relaxed control & pro-development officers managing control
Mythbusting
2. Planning is Slow
Naish Felts – submitted 2003, resolution 2004, permission ... 2012 ???
A slow and prescriptive planning regime
Evidence and Defence:
Statistics. But delays through other consenting regimes
Nature of UK property law slows down planning
Community influence is possible which is necessary and good
The UK development process is amongst the quickest in western Europe
Lesson: Planning certainty without over-prescription, and remember other regimes
Mythbusting
3. Planning is Costly
The current planning system costs the economy £3bn – costs, delays
Evidence:
“HM Treasury does not hold any recorded information on the scope of your [FoI] request”
2006 Interim Report of the Barker Review – Reading University research
“there have only been a few studies, and no recent ones, investigating the costs associated with delay for the economy as a whole”
A 19 year old study dealing with a planning system that no longer exists and dealing with major infrastructure which was not considered through planning at the time anyway!
Mythbusting
3. Planning is Costly
The current planning system costs the economy £3bn – costs, delays
Defence:
What costs are being referred to?
• Costs to Local Authority? – Inflation, drop in staff, no real increase in resources
• Costs to Applicant? – Compare to what a developer can earn from a scheme
• Costs of Section 106? – Reviews and Renegotiations. CIL
RTPI: “Anything that is worth doing costs money”
Lesson: Can the costs be shared and reduced accordingly
Mythbusting
4. Planning is a Drag on Economic Growth
The Prime Minister has been quoted as describing planners as “Enemies of Enterprise”
Evidence and Defence:
Planning Officers’ Society: Time to process applications fallen and still the same number of applications approved
RTPI: Planners are central to economic recovery
e.g. Aire Valley Enterprise Zone in Leeds – an area of economic underperformance, where infrastructure provision through the planning process re-establishes the
area as the city’s economic heart
Tipner Regeneration
Mythbusting
4. Planning is a Drag on Economic Growth
Tipner Regeneration
3300 dwellings
30,000m2 employment space
Land safeguarded for football stadium to 2026
New bridge link (two options, one preferred)
Improvements to Country Park / restricted access implemented to existing open space
Park and ride facility
Small scale local centre at Port Solent
Small scale local centre at Tipner East
Mythbusting
4. Planning is a Drag on Economic Growth
Planning helps to shape successful places where people live and work
balancing
Wider economic, social and environmental objectives
Lesson: Planning measures and designations can prime development
Mythbusting
5. Planning Forces up House Prices
Barker Review: Need delivery of 120,000 houses per year to achieve balanced house price growth
Deliver more land – increases housing – reduces prices
Evidence and Defence:
In fact Barker Review actually said that the effect was marginal when considering issues including availability of finance and demand
Current slump due to lack of finance, not lack of permissions
Lack of permissions is due to lack of applications, due to lack of finance
Lesson: Funding assistance – joint working – LEP - £500m Growing Places
Back to Mythbusting
1. No - Agree areas of relaxed control & pro-development officers managing control
2. Slow - Planning certainty without over-prescription, and remember other regimes
3. Costly - Can the costs be shared and reduced accordingly
4. Drag on Economic Growth - Planning measures and designations can prime development
5. Forces up House Prices - Funding assistance – joint working – LEP - £500m Growing Places
Good Planning can help: Protect; raise economic growth; enhance communities; and will hopefully be there for a long time...
savills.co.uk
Thank youGavin HallAssociate DirectorSavills Planning and Regeneration, Southampton
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