"The reality is that planning is not a barrier to house building. Nine in 10 planning applications are approved by councils despite significant resourcing and capacity issues across the country."
Responding to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ speech on housing and planning, Cllr Darren Rodwell, housing spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said:
“People want their local area to have high-quality affordable homes built in the right places, supported by the right infrastructure, and councils stand ready to government tackle local housing challenges.
“This is best achieved through a local planning system with public participation at its heart. So we are pleased government has confirmed that housing targets will become an advisory starting point which will take into account local circumstances.
"The reality is that planning is not a barrier to house building. Nine in 10 planning applications are approved by councils despite significant resourcing and capacity issues across the country.
“In order to help increase the speed of local plan-making and housing delivery, we urge the Government to bring forward consultations on a revised National Planning Policy Framework and National Development Management Policies which will form the backbone of a new style of plan-making due in Autumn 2024.”