The British Property Federation has called for greater strategic planning in response to the government’s Call for Evidence on planning for freight and logistics
This could be achieved by the government preparing a ‘National Supply Chain Infrastructure Framework’.
The National Supply Chain Infrastructure Frameworks would, alongside the National Planning Policy Framework and associated guidance, help all local and combined authorities plan more effectively for freight and logistics.
Strategic logistics employment sites are not being planned effectively
Currently, strategic logistics employment sites are not being planned effectively as they rely on cooperation between authorities, with requirements for local authorities to work together through the planning system being less effective since the abolition of Regional Spatial Strategies in 2010.
This has been to the detriment of the wider economy and has undermined international investment, with strategic employment sites tending to attract nationally and internally mobile business activity, as well as specific growth centres.
A more agile and flexible local plan process is needed
BPF has called for a more agile and flexible local plan process going forward, with mechanisms put in place to enable employment sites to come forward outside of the formal Local Plan cycle when it makes sense to do so.
For example, many forward-thinking local authorities, experienced in catering for freight and logistics, adopt ‘criteria-based’ local policies to enable this, with the BPF response noting this approach should be rolled out across the country.
‘Changes to the current system are imperative for the sector to reach its full potential’
Ben Taylor, planning director at Newlands Developments and chair of the BPF Industrial Committee, said: “We have been calling for a step-change in the way we plan for our industrial and logistics uses for some time now, and these changes are imperative if the sector is going to reach its full potential and play a leading role in levelling up and driving wider economic growth.
“The publication of this call for evidence has therefore been strongly welcomed by the sector and serves as an indication that central government policymakers recognise the urgent need to create a more productive planning environment for industrial and logistics.
“It is our strong hope that the mountain of evidence assembled by our Members from all corners of the industrial and logistics sector across the country, which has resulted in our detailed response and case study evidence, can positively make the case for reform when the fuller review of national planning policy and associated guidance gets underway next year.”
