Planning speed up is welcomed by Lincolnshire housebuilder

The Government is consulting on a range of reforms to cut red tape and reduce the time it takes to determine planning applications in a bid to achieve its target of building 300,000 new homes per year.

The proposed measures include granting automatic planning permission for new homes, hospitals, schools, shops and offices on land designated for growth by local planning authorities.

The Government says this could speed up the process by as much as two to three years.

David Newton, managing director of Chestnut Homes, said: “Although we are lucky to have good planning departments across Lincolnshire, the planning process can become protracted.

“We therefore welcome any change that can help speed up the process, while still ensuring the correct level of scrutiny.

“We believe introducing a system of automatic planning permissions will not only speed up the delivery of new homes but also ensure they are built in the places where they are needed the most.

“Housebuilding will have a key role to play in supporting the country’s recovery from the pandemic, so enabling more homes to be built will provide a significant boost to the wider UK economy.

“This is especially true in Lincolnshire where new homes are desperately needed to attract more people to live and work in this great county and support its future economic growth.

“Lincolnshire offers the lifestyle many have craved during the lockdown period with great local walks, wide open spaces and good local services.

“The Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership has set a target of building 100,000 new homes in the county by 2031 and reforms such as this will only help to make that aspiration more achievable.

“We have also seen growing demand for homes in Lincolnshire since lockdown, with many people being attracted to the county by the open space, relaxed lifestyle and value for money that it offers.

“While the proposals should enable developments to come forward more quickly on land designated for growth, it is important to acknowledge that the Green Belt and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty will still be protected.

“As a developer building exclusively in Lincolnshire, we feel very strongly about ensuring our developments fit in with their local area and we are therefore encouraged to see that the measures also include a proposal to ensure design codes are prepared locally and based on greater community involvement.”