2 minutes reading time
(434 words)
Planning to Fail: Why Approvals Don’t Equal Progress
Property Quorum – Thursday 26th June at 10am
On paper, we’re getting there. Planning approvals are being granted. Housing targets are being nodded through. Local authorities continue to green light schemes across the country.
And yet... so many of these schemes remain stuck. The ground hasn’t been broken. The scaffolding hasn’t gone up. Even where permissions exist, progress often hasn’t followed.
This week on Property Quorum, we’re tackling a frustrating reality for planners, developers, conveyancers and home movers alike: planning permission is no guarantee of delivery.
Behind every approved application lies a more complicated picture. For developers, the numbers have become harder to make work. Material costs remain high, labour is hard to secure, and financing has tightened. Add to that uncertainty around new building safety regulations, biodiversity net gain requirements, and shifting design codes, then the incentive to press ahead can quickly vanish.
Local authorities find themselves in a difficult bind. They can approve plans, yet have no real mechanism to ensure those plans are acted upon. Many are caught between political pressure to boost housing delivery and the commercial realities faced by private developers who are increasingly risk-averse. It's not always a question of will, sometimes it's a question of margins.
For conveyancers, agents and buyers, these delays have knock-on effects. Off-plan deals collapse when builds stall. Chain reactions spread when linked purchases fall through. And in some cases, land that was earmarked for homes ends up dormant for years thereby creating uncertainty, frustration and legal complications for all involved.
What happens when developers seek to amend approved plans, reducing affordable housing quotas or scaling back design commitments. Can planning ever be seen as “done” if the goalposts keep shifting?
This Thursday at 10am, join us live for a grounded discussion on what needs to change. Gareth Wax returns as chair, with Hamish McLay, conveyancing collaborator. Joining them are Juliet Baboolal, experienced property lawyer and partner at gunnercooke, and Michelle Carr, a Quantity Surveyor with deep insight into why many approved developments stall before they start.
Together, they’ll likely examine the real-world consequences of permission without progress. And wonder, too, whether policy makers are measuring the wrong thing.
Just because permission is granted, doesn’t mean the hard work is done. Sometimes, that’s where the real delays begin.
Watch live on Thursday 26th June at 10am, or catch the recording later via our YouTube channel: 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@SpillingTheProper-Tea
For content enquiries:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For podcast/media info:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
On paper, we’re getting there. Planning approvals are being granted. Housing targets are being nodded through. Local authorities continue to green light schemes across the country.
And yet... so many of these schemes remain stuck. The ground hasn’t been broken. The scaffolding hasn’t gone up. Even where permissions exist, progress often hasn’t followed.
This week on Property Quorum, we’re tackling a frustrating reality for planners, developers, conveyancers and home movers alike: planning permission is no guarantee of delivery.
Behind every approved application lies a more complicated picture. For developers, the numbers have become harder to make work. Material costs remain high, labour is hard to secure, and financing has tightened. Add to that uncertainty around new building safety regulations, biodiversity net gain requirements, and shifting design codes, then the incentive to press ahead can quickly vanish.
Local authorities find themselves in a difficult bind. They can approve plans, yet have no real mechanism to ensure those plans are acted upon. Many are caught between political pressure to boost housing delivery and the commercial realities faced by private developers who are increasingly risk-averse. It's not always a question of will, sometimes it's a question of margins.
For conveyancers, agents and buyers, these delays have knock-on effects. Off-plan deals collapse when builds stall. Chain reactions spread when linked purchases fall through. And in some cases, land that was earmarked for homes ends up dormant for years thereby creating uncertainty, frustration and legal complications for all involved.
What happens when developers seek to amend approved plans, reducing affordable housing quotas or scaling back design commitments. Can planning ever be seen as “done” if the goalposts keep shifting?
This Thursday at 10am, join us live for a grounded discussion on what needs to change. Gareth Wax returns as chair, with Hamish McLay, conveyancing collaborator. Joining them are Juliet Baboolal, experienced property lawyer and partner at gunnercooke, and Michelle Carr, a Quantity Surveyor with deep insight into why many approved developments stall before they start.
Together, they’ll likely examine the real-world consequences of permission without progress. And wonder, too, whether policy makers are measuring the wrong thing.
Just because permission is granted, doesn’t mean the hard work is done. Sometimes, that’s where the real delays begin.
Watch live on Thursday 26th June at 10am, or catch the recording later via our YouTube channel: 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@SpillingTheProper-Tea
For content enquiries:
For podcast/media info:
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