Getting Spades in the Ground
Speeding up the decision-taking process in local planning authorities
Across the UK, the capacity of local planning authorities to make timely, high-quality decisions is central to shaping thriving places, meeting housing targets and strengthening the economy. Yet Development Management—the operational engine of the planning system—continues to face mounting pressure from rising application volumes, increasingly complex requirements and stretched public sector resources. The result is a growing risk of delays, uncertainty for applicants and communities, and missed opportunities to deliver projects that could drive genuine social and economic value.
This white paper from Mike Kiely, Board Member of the Planning Alliance and Chair of the Planning Officers Society (POS), calls for a national drive to modernise and accelerate the planning process, with a focus on revitalising Development Management. This paper sets out a series of practical proposals that would give local planning teams the tools, capacity and confidence to act at pace without compromising the rigour, transparency and public engagement that underpin the profession. By cutting unnecessary bureaucracy, embedding digital innovation and investing in skills, government can empower planning authorities to deliver better outcomes, faster.