Brooke Smith Planning has welcomed the emphasis on planning in
George Osborne's Budget yesterday (Wednesday 23 March 2011).
Louise Brooke-Smith, MD of the Birmingham-based consultancy,
said: "We are pleased that Mr Osborne has specifically highlighted
planning issues as a way to support the construction and
development sectors. The proposals to allow the change of use of
offices to provide new residential units seem positive in the first
instance.
"They could help address the dire housing shortage across the
UK, although the system must retain sufficient employment
land.
"We await the fine detail but it will be interesting to see how
local authorities react to the potential loss of Section 106
contributions and hence lose out on affordable provision, commuted
sums for public open space, education contributions and so on.
"But hopefully, the help for first-time buyers through the
shared equity scheme will boost the housing industry
generally."
She added that other proposals such as extending the number of
Enterprise Zones - where there will be a relaxation of planning
control - could kick-start the economy in certain areas, providing
there was no repeat of the mistakes made in the 1980s when they
were previously rolled out.
"Overall, the push for the planning regime to prioritise growth
and jobs through a presumption in favour of sustainable development
is welcomed. We look forward to seeing the detail behind the
headlines and the timescales for the various proposals to be
implemented."