Developing green belt and brownfield sites for redevelopment in tackling the UK housing crises is firmly on the agenda, but can local authorities deal with the increase in pressure? Chris Kendall of Idox makes his case here…
The current UK housing crisis is allowing everyone to have their say. Experts such as Shelter argue that we need to be building upwards of 250,000 homes a year to meet with rising demand in England alone. The government agrees, but wants to simultaneously increase local councils’ workload, whilst making funding savings and streamlining staff. Add to this the reality that many declining towns and cities are in urgent need of regeneration and it’s easy to appreciate the pressures currently facing local authorities. And with the green belt and brownfield sites now being added to the equation as possibilities for development, how well-placed and equipped are they to cope with it all?
Green belt building
2016 will see a 50,000 increase in the number of homes planned to be built on England’s green belt – with the estimated number of planned homes now up to a total of 275,000. The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) reports that planning and development on green belt land is gradually eroding these once protected areas. March 2016 saw proposals for 1,500 new homes to be built on green belt between Cheltenham and Gloucester being endorsed by Greg Clark, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. This is one of the biggest developments on the green belt for decades and clearly demonstrates the degree and urgency of need for new housing. In the metropolitan green belt area around London alone, 117,000 homes are expected. The Local Plans Expert Group, a government-appointed body, has also encouraged green belt reviews, so more announcements on rural development can be expected in the near future.
This kind of planning and building comes at a cost and will put increasing strain on councils already finding themselves under fire. In addition, 73 councils across England will pilot a brownfields register, which will provide housebuilders with current and publicly-available information on all brownfield sites available for housing locally. Each council taking part will receive £10,000 funding to establish its register. This government pilot scheme is designed to unlock brownfield sites for future expansion as a more welcome, environmentally-friendly alternative to green belt development.
The State of play
In October 2015, a report released by the British Property Federation and property consultants GL Hearn described the UK planning system as being ‘on the brink’. The reason for this criticism was that the average time taken to determine a major planning application stood at 32 weeks, which is more than double the government’s target of 13 weeks. The report also suggested that cuts to local budgets are a significant causal factor, where under-resourcing was cited by 55% of local authorities as being a major obstacle to growth. Another report released by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) in the same month bolsters these findings. Looking at research undertaken in the North West region, it found that local planning services had seen a 30% reduction in staff since 2010. The report highlights that this has undermined economic recovery in the region which will, in turn, slow growth. Whilst local planning services have been able to survive on the ‘goodwill and professional integrity’ of staff, it suggests that the current situation is unsustainable. These two reports paint a picture of a weakened planning system that is creaking under the strain of demand. And that demand will only increase, if changes to planning policy and available land development continue to be high on the agenda.
Green Vs brown
For every developer and council seeking to fulfil local and national needs, there’s often opposition from residents and campaigners who disagree with the proposals. Looking at Birmingham as a good example, the city needs 89,000 more homes by 2031. Plans have been passed to allow more than 6,000 homes to be built on green belt land around the city. The Birmingham Development Plan outlines that in the long-term, the council wants to see 51,500 homes in the city before 2031, so the planners’ promise still falls short of actual requirements. But the passed proposals will see fields near the Sutton Coldfield bypass have 6,000 new homes and 175 acres of business constructed on them. This has angered campaigners, who claim that there are more suitable sites for development to take place, such as brownfield sites that are prime candidates for development and any associated infrastructure changes. Though the council says it is delighted with the proposals going forward, others aren’t so convinced. However, the rising population and need for affordable housing is driving the market to increasingly hard-line decisions. Land that was once strongly protected within the green belt is now being considered suitable for building, when perhaps brownfield development would provide a more fitting alternative without any public opposition.
But buzzwords like ‘housing and employment opportunities’ appeal to local councils, so the naysayers are unlikely to be heard or considered. Exceptional circumstances and high housing targets are resulting in changes to green belt planning policy that this country and its policymakers would never have considered 30 years ago. The CPRE would like the government to empower councils to sanction the use of brownfield sites, above the release of green belt. According to the CPRE, “Brownfield land is a self-renewing resource that can provide at least one million new homes.”
Efficiency in planning
In the face of both increased pressure and increased cuts, there is clearly a need to shape council services into being as efficient as possible. Whilst councils clearly need more funds if they are to meet levels of demand, it’s also useful to look to creative possibilities to help them weather the storm. As a timely solution, iApply from Idox is the UK’s first online submissions system that integrates planning and building control. Chris Kendall, Idox’s Digital Strategy Lead for iApply explains: “iApply offers a step-change within the industry and has been designed to considerably simplify the submission and real-time tracking of planning and building control applications. It provides a single-source for all online submissions and, when compared to existing methods, offers time and efficiency savings to both applicants and local authorities. iApply uses a modern, user-friendly interface, with data sharing made simpler by its compatibility. At a time when efficiency and the streamlining of application processes are paramount, iApply helps local authorities manage their resources to maximum effect.”
For further information on iApply, please visit www.iapply.co.uk or watch the introductory video highlighting just some of the major advantages of investing in the service https://iapply.co.uk/lgdp/#why
Chris Kendall
Digital Strategy Lead
Idox
chris.kendall@idoxgroup.com
www.idoxgroup.com
Please note: this is a commercial profile
