Development control times vary within local authorities, says report: variability appears to be 'feature of the development'

New evidence has been revealed about the how long it takes to get planning consent for major housing sites in England and the factors which tend to be linked to longer or shorter approval times. The study is the largest of its kind.

The findings are published in Housing supply and planning controls the impact of planning control processing times on housing supply in England. The study of sites approved for major residential housing was commissioned by the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit (NHPAU), the country's foremost advisory body on housing affordability and the planning delivery system for housing. It is the latest report from the NHPAU designed to aid understanding of how England's planning and delivery system for housing works.

Reading University collected data on over 900 sites, approved for major residential housing in 2005-2006, in 45 English local authorities. The research focused on sites, rather than planning applications, as it is sites which generate housing and will be managed through to development. It covered only sites where applications were granted rather than ultimately refused.

The report highlights an average determination period for the sites analysed of 43 weeks. The study finds that differences in development control times take place within each local authority and that variability appears to be a feature of the development control system overall.

The research also identifies that:

• Development control time increases with the size of development (measured by number of homes) but overall takes less time per dwelling built. Time is not affected by other scheme features.
• Trophy or prestige projects, as well as social housing schemes, tend to go through development control faster than others.
• The development control process takes longer in more affluent localities and where there are hung councils.
  The report concludes that uncertainty in time taken to process applications has significant implications for housing supply. It argues that long determination periods "will inevitably discourage investment in bringing forward new sites in the period following a recession, as developers will want to be certain that a strong recovery is under way before they make any such lengthy commitment."

Neil McDonald, Chief Executive of the NHPAU, said: 'There is a lot of anecdote and assertion about how long planning approval takes and why some sites take longer than others. This study provides hard evidence to enable us to have a much better understanding of the variability in approval times. It deserves careful consideration by all involved in planning for housing.

'A key aim for the NHPAU is to help local and regional authorities make the planning delivery system for housing work. We do not pretend to have all the answers but by providing new, robust evidence of the factors in play we can help ensure that the system is better able to respond to demand and deliver sufficient housing of the right type and in the right location, when we need it.

'Communities and Local Government has recently responded to the Killian Pretty Review of the planning system and the National Audit Office study of planning applications. Last month it began a consultation on the establishment of a new planning policy statement on development management. Our study is relevant to this process and we will be discussing its findings with key players at local, regional, and national level.'

Housing supply and planning controls - the impact of planning control processing times on housing supply in England, is available at www.communities.gov.uk/nhpau/keypublications/research/.