Government proposes to review the Planning System

The Government has today announced proposals to reform the existing planning system. The White Paper is out for consultation until the beginning of October.

The consultation process will take feedback from stakeholders and the Chamber will be responding on behalf of our wider membership.

Tim Waring, Chair of the Chamber’s Leeds Property Forum, said “Today’s announcements on reforming planning show a very clear ambition by this Government to change the planning system, and the Chamber shares the general view that some aspects of it has passed its “best before date”. We welcome the consultation on a new system, although which aspects of the reforms will be taken forward will not be clear for some time and the detail of how the reforms may work is currently lacking at this stage.

“The Chamber supports the Governments ambitions of modernising the planning system and ensuring that development needed to level up the Region with the rest of the UK are not hindered by unnecessary and time consuming red tape, and we will be engaging in this consultation to ensure the Region’s interests are heard”.

Amanda Beresford, President of Leeds Chamber and chair of the Chamber’s planning group said, “The general intention of the Government’s proposals – speeding up and simplifying the planning process – is welcomed. However it is important to get the details right, to ensure delivery, and the Chamber will be considering these as they emerge.”