November’s Chief Planner’s Newsletter Released

The latest edition of Joanna Averly’s Chief Planner’s Newsletter has been published, outlining new legislation, funding and digital initiatives aimed at modernising the sector.

One of the most prominent policy updates outlined in the letter is around new compulsory purchase regulations and the removal of ‘hope value’ – a key facet in the government’s journey to streamlining and speeding up housing and infrastructure.

There is also new climate-change related support available for local authorities in the form of the new ‘Local Authority Climate Service’¹ – an interactive geospatial tool set up in collaboration between DEFRA and the Met Office - which reports on national and local climate forecasts.          

Calling for collaboration with stakeholders across the built environment, the letter highlights a series of upcoming events including the online ‘PropTech Innovation Fund Event’ aimed at showcasing digital tools for planning, featuring case studies from local authorities and the ‘High Street Rental Auctions Showcase’ –to introduce councils to new powers for auctioning vacant high street buildings.

The letter also highlights a survey by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Urban² – an opportunity for ‘local authorities working at a city level to share examples of successful urban growth initiatives’.

The letter also underlines the deadline for call to evidence to the new towns task force – an initiative established by government to identify locations for new towns with minim of 10,0000 new homes with 40% affordable housing – as 13 December 2024.

Wales Consults on Planning Fees

On 15 November 2024, Welsh Government issued a consultation aimed at improving the resourcing and performance of its planning services across the country. 

Aiming to create a resilient and properly funded planning system, the consultation focuses on a range of aspects including planning application fees, local planning authority performance and resourcing skills gaps.  

A report commissioned by Welsh Government and published by ARUP³ in 2021 assessed current planning fees against the cost to local planning authorities, to deliver services such as validation and assessment of planning applications. Generally, the ARUP report found that fees were considerably lower than required to carry out planning functions, this trend extended “across almost all 56 existing fee categories.” 

As a result of the report, Welsh Government are seeking views on increasing planning fees and whether a shift towards Full Cost Recovery (FCR) is necessary, and if so, how it should best be implemented. 

FCR would be achieved through what has been dubbed ‘FCR pathways’, which allow the cost of planning fees to increase year on year until they reach the FCR limit. 

These fee increases would be accompanied by annual increases in line with inflation, to ensure that fees don’t fall below the required rate again. 

Depending on the result of the consultation, the changes would start from Summer 2025, with some application types taking up to five years to reach FCR. 

The consultation also proposes doubling fees for retrospective applications and introducing a fee for appeals. 

The full consultation, including a draft fee schedule, is available on the Welsh Government website.⁴ 

MPs Launch Inquiry into Reforms to Boost Community Energy Growth

The Commons Energy Security and Net-Zero Committee has announced an inquiry into the key reforms needed to unlock the growth of community energy schemes, aligning with the UK’s clean power ambitions for 2030.

Community energy initiatives—encompassing renewable energy generation, demand reduction, and supply projects—are either wholly owned or controlled by communities or operated in partnership with commercial or public sector organisations. In 2023, this sector produced 617GWh of energy, equivalent to powering 228,530 homes.

The inquiry will examine the potential future role of Great British Energy in supporting these schemes through the Local Power Plan. MPs aim to assess how reforms to the planning system, energy market, and grid connections could enable community energy projects to scale effectively.

You can find more information by visiting The Planner.⁵

Councils empowered to revive high streets with new rental auction powers

From 2 December, councils will have the authority to tackle long-term vacant properties by auctioning their leases under the new High Street Rental Auction (HSRA) powers. Introduced through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, these measures aim to rejuvenate high streets by offering a "right to rent" for businesses and community groups.

Properties left vacant for more than 365 days within a two-year period will qualify for council intervention, enabling leases of one to five years to be auctioned. The initiative is designed to discourage landlords from leaving properties empty while revitalising city, town, and village centres.

The HSRA powers are part of government’s broader commitment to bringing life back to town centres and fostering thriving high streets. By making it easier for businesses and community groups to occupy empty properties, this initiative supports the government’s vision to strengthen local economies, create jobs, and drive trade.

For more information on this initiative, visit the government’s website.⁶

1. https://climatedataportal.metoffice.gov.uk/pages/lacs
2. https://survey.oecd.org/index.php?r=survey/index&sid=954736&lang=en
3. https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2021-07/research-into-the-cost-of-delivering-a-development-management-service-in-wales_0.pdf
4. https://www.gov.wales/promoting-resilient-and-high-performing-planning-service
5. https://www.theplanner.co.uk/2024/11/18/mps-probe-role-planning-wide-ranging-review-community-energy
6. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/high-streets-to-be-revitalised-with-new-legal-powers