Earlier this year, the UK saw a notable decline in new homes granted planning approval, marking the lowest number in 13 years (Financial Times). This drop highlights challenges in the planning system. Local planning authorities (LPAs) are navigating increasing workloads and constraints on resources, which can impact the efficiency of the planning process. The validation stage, which can cause unexpected delays due to the potential for error in applications, is a contributing factor to these pressures.
“How long does a planning application take?” - this is a common question from homeowners and developers, but the answer isn’t always straightforward. The process involves multiple stages, with the validation step often causing a bottleneck. Not sure what that means? Here’s a quick look at the key stages in the planning application process:
While this may seem simple, it’s the validation step where many applications falter. Let’s take a closer look at what this process involves, and the reasons behind the high number of invalid planning applications.
Once you submit a planning application, the LPA will check it over to make sure that it is completed, all the relevant information is included, and there are no mistakes. After receiving the application, it should take them roughly 5 days to decide whether it is valid (Breckland Council). A valid application will cover standard application form details, mandatory national requirements and the LPA’s local list requirements.
The issue: LPAs are experiencing high invalidation rates. For example, 45% of planning applications submitted to Tewkesbury Council ended up being invalidated last year. Specific invalid application reasons tend to vary council-to-council, but one underlying reason prevails: human error. Examples of invalid reasons on Cotswold Council’s page include missing plans, applications submitted without a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), and heritage statements being left out. Lambeth Council mentions incorrectly signed and dated application forms, incorrect or missing application fees, and drawings that lack labels.
In short, the validation stage is consuming a significant amount of officer time, as it tends to focus on managing human errors rather than on assessing planning applications and addressing queries. The result? A council planning backlog that puts a high degree of pressure onto LPAs and reduces the efficiency of the planning process, hence the recent decline in approved developments.
The answer becomes excruciatingly clear: To unlock officer time, we need to innovate this system with a new process that will reduce the amount of invalid planning applications and accelerate the validation process, in turn advancing housing supply in the UK.
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