A significant increase in the number of major residential developments being decided upon by councils shows the new streamlined planning system is working as confirmed by newly released statistics.
The government’s reforms have condensed the previous 1,300 pages of advice into a clear 50 page guide and turned the 7,000 pages of practice guidance into a single online resource.
This is helping construction firms gain approvals and restart previously stalled developments that have planning permission and our strong guidance shows the best way to use planning conditions.
In the year ending June 2013, district level planning authorities decided 2% more residential decisions and 14% more major residential decisions.
The government’s statistics are also backed by figures released in Home Builders Federation’s latest Housing Pipeline report (PDF, 598 kb) that reveal a 49% year-on-year increase in the number of planning approvals for new homes in the second quarter of 2013.
Planning Minister Nick Boles said: "(These) figures show this government’s new, simpler planning system is supporting the construction industry to get Britain building the homes the next generation needs, while conserving our countryside.
"Decisions on major residential homes are up by 14% and 9 in every 10 planning applications are now approved - their highest level for 13 years. This news builds on figures last week by the Home Builders Federation that showed 49% year-on-year increase in the number of planning approvals for new homes."