Government urged to extend planning permissions

Calls are being made on the government to protect the construction industry by extending all planning permissions by a year.

Construction work has ground to a halt on many sites across the UK and builders’ representatives - National Federation of Builders (NFB) and the House Builders Association (HBA) are urging the government to extend all planning permissions to prevent them from lapsing during the lockdown.

Builders and housing developers fear that where current permissions lapse, projects will have to re-submit to the planning process once work resumes. This will stall work and delay the nation’s return to full economic productivity.

Extending planning permissions is just one of a package of measures put forward.

NFB chief executive Richard Beresford said:

“We are in constant dialogue with our members and they have put forward their current top needs to help the industry survive and recover from the coronavirus. During this crisis, the government has already proved it’s willing to listen to industry and it must continue to do so if we stand any hope of protecting those who will drive our economic recovery.”

Rico Wojtulewicz, head of housing and planning policy at the House Builders Association (HBA), said:

“These measures will help to save thousands of small and medium-sized housebuilders. Without them, we haven’t got a hope of solving our housing and skills crisis, or levelling up our nation.”

References: https://www.pbctoday.co.uk/news/planning-construction-news/construction-industry-urges-nfb/74450/

https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/government-urge-to-extend-all-planning-permissions