LSE - Small Logo
LSE - Small Logo

Christine Whitehead

October 14th, 2020

LSE London Consultation response on Current Planning System

0 comments | 3 shares

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

Christine Whitehead

October 14th, 2020

LSE London Consultation response on Current Planning System

0 comments | 3 shares

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

LSE London responded to the Government’s Consultation on Changes to the Current Planning System which closed on October 1st 2020.

Our response supported the government’s overarching objective of generating a step change in the delivery of new homes and understood the need for rapid change. It also recognised that these were interim measures to change behaviour to be more in line with the longer term objectives set out in the Planning for the Future White Paper. However, we have concerns that the government was looking to meet a range of objectives, not all of which could be addressed simultaneously with the instruments suggested.

Our response concentrated on the conceptual and evidence base for the formula to determine and allocate the numbers of new homes; on the issues around introducing First Homes at scale before the trial has commenced; the potential loss of affordable housing from raising the site threshold to 40 or 50 and the effectiveness of such a policy in supporting the growth of smaller developers; and the extent to which extending planning in principle can be expected to speed up well planned developments.

The response included a number of positive suggestions about how the government’s objectives might be more readily achieved – notably with respect to the formula and helping smaller developers.

 

Read our response HERE.

 

About the author

Christine Whitehead

Professor Christine Whitehead is the Deputy Director of LSE London. Christine is an applied economist whose research is well-known in both academic and policy circles and is Emeritus Professor of Housing Economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Posted In: Planning | Roundtables

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.