Fabian Society thinking like developers
The Fabian Society, Britain’s oldest think tank, has released a report titled, ‘Quick Wins’, offering ten recommendations to create a more effective planning system.
Richard Beresford, chief executive of the National Federation of Builders, said: “’Quick Wins’ reiterates the industry’s campaign to reform a broken planning process and their recommendations are further proof that anyone who is serious about solving the housing crisis understands that planning reform is the number one priority.”
In partnership with the Land, Planning and Development Federation (LPDF), ‘Quick Wins: Building More Homes in Communities That Need Them’ places public sector intervention as key to transformative placemaking, using existing policies as the basis for either greater reforms or expanded opportunities.
The following ten recommendations come under the headings of ‘A more effective planning system’ and ‘An active state’.
A more effective planning system:
- Expand definition of well-connected train stations
- Encourage development of golf-courses in grey-belt
- Rural Right to Build for social and affordable homes
- Implement standardised national housing design guides
- Make planning submissions more proportionate and bring back the ‘free go’
- Reform how public engages with planning
An active state:
- Reform borrowing rules for council housing
- Greater use of compulsory purchase powers
- Require Great British Rail to facilitate housing around its assets
- Increase height threshold for second staircases
Rico Wojtulewicz, director of Policy and Market Insight for the NFB, said: “Many of these proposals are in our 2024 general election manifesto and so we hope the Government is listening and ready to engage with industry of their views. The ‘free go’, in particular, must be reinstated.
The Fabian Society have thought like developers and correctly identified that the existing planning framework wastes opportunities to deliver homes and state intervention is required to change that. We believe spatial planning may be key to that, but it still leaves us with an environment of planning tweaks. The real mileage on planning reform could be devolution because it can ensure placemaking is about delivering for the broader society and economy, rather than localism led by the loudest voices.”