Will Planning delay your chances of recovery?

Research by the universities of Cambridge and Reading has shown that delays in the planning system are much greater than the governments published data suggests.

The research revealed that the average time that residential development applications spend in the planning system was 58 weeks, with only 8% processed within the governments 13 week target. Official statistics suggest that 60% met the target. The report call the delays “unacceptable” and Cambridge University Professor Phil Allmendinger is quoted as saying “ Despite Considerable resources and effort, the time taken to secure planning permission through the development control process remains unacceptably long,” Abstracts of the papers can be found at www.ice.org.uk/journals.
Thomas Consulting have helped a number of clients who have experienced problems with planning issues relating to highway and environmental matters, including a number who have found problems in selling completed properties. Our advice is to address all planning issues at an early stage and where possible do not delay in addressing planning conditions. Clearly delays of the extent found by the researchers will have a profound effect in the construction industry recovering from the recession.