The Penfold Review, set up to identify whether non-planning consents delay or discourage investment, has published its final report.
This report, following the interim report in March, sets out recommendations to simplifying the planning and consents environment and includes proposals that could free up resources, save time and money, and deliver real benefits not only to developers and investors, but also to consenting bodies in England. Local communities in could also benefit from greater transparency and clarity about how decisions are made.
The review focused on ‘non-planning consents’, such as environmental permits, highways orders, and heritage consents that are needed alongside or after planning permission. It found a complex and fragmented landscape that poses real problems for some businesses to navigate effectively.
The Review recommends:
* simplifying the non-planning consents landscape by removing some individual consents and rationalising other groups of related consents
* giving developers easy access to clear, accurate and up-to-date information
* delivering greater certainty for developers and removing duplication by improving the way planning and non-planning consents operate together
* improve the co-ordination and governance around decisions involving multiple decision makers
* strengthening the service culture of decision-making bodies by, for example, setting timetables for the determination of non-planning consents
* creating a clear system for oversight of the planning and non-planning landscape
The Government will consider the recommendations from the Penfold Review in detail and will publish a formal response in the autumn.
Download the report HERE
BIS Penfold Review: LINK
Search The Planning Portal: LINK
