Farmers and landowners have urged government to let them help solve the housing crisis, arguing the ‘outdated’ planning system is holding the country back.
The government’s annual target is to build 300,000 new homes – but fewer than 200,000 homes were built in 2017-18.
The need for more housing is set to only grow with the UK population expected to rise by a further 2m people by 2030.
The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) says landowners are wanting to help but are being put off by 'endless bureaucracy, spiralling costs and a lack of planning officers'.
President of the group, Mark Bridgeman, said: “They spend tens of thousands of pounds on planning applications, but delays and knock backs from planning officers means they give up, much to the detriment of the economy.”
The group argues that Local Authorities have had their planning budgets cut by 55% since 2010 leaving planning departments in crisis.
Such drastic cuts to planning departments means fewer planning officers. Those who are in post are often stretched to the limit, which causes delays.
Mr Bridgeman added: “Rather than representing a barrier to growth, the planning system should enable and enhance the delivery of developments in rural communities.
“The government must decide what it wants the planning system to deliver and then provide adequate resources to achieve those aims.
“A simpler and better resourced planning system would restore confidence in decisions and encourage more applications to come forward, unlocking the potential of the rural economy.”
Solutions put forward include local planners to undertake a Housing Needs Assessments across all rural settlements.
This would, according to the CLA, identify local needs so that they can be met at a local level – with particular attention given to affordable housing and housing for the elderly.
This in effect would give parish and community councils greater responsibility for working with landowners to identify housing need.
The group also calls for new permitted development rights for new-build affordable housing on rural exception sites.
It says this would allow landowners to deliver critically-needed affordable homes meeting high regulatory standards whilst limiting exposure to costly delays.
