New research from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) and the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) has found that nearly 90% of local authorities believe that the Government’s housing targets will be impossible to meet due to a lack of planning resources.
The report, which is the first of its kind to draw upon the experience of both local authorities and SME house builders from right across the UK, also found that 64% of builders and 45% of local authorities see lack of planning resources as a barrier to developing more small sites.
More than half of councils deliver fewer than 40% of homes on small sites, and builders and local authorities call for councils to be allowed to raise planning application fees.
Jonathan Carr-West, chief executive, of LGiU, commented: “There is a large untapped potential in small sites, but resource and capacity pressures in planning departments make it difficult to unlock. We need new approaches and new partnerships to build the homes we need. By working with a wider range of local builders, councils can stimulate local economic growth, while providing jobs and training for young people in the area.”
