AtkinsRéalis report links UK planning delays to investment decisions
Slow planning decisions are weighing on investment in UK projects, according to a report from AtkinsRéalis. The firm says the delays are stretching project timelines and threatening viability and delivery.
The research drew on a survey of 200 planning professionals, developers and public sector practitioners, alongside industry roundtables and investor research.
Key findings
- 62% of respondents said planning timelines significantly influenced investment decisions or were a major determinant.
- More than two-thirds said decision-making remains slow (40%) or very slow (29%).
- 69% pointed to local planning authority resource constraints, despite a recent influx of new planners.
- 57% cited statutory consultee delays, and 52% attributed delays to statutory consultee input.
- 44% named inconsistent decision-making, and 33% the complexity of assessments.
- 39% said incomplete or low-quality submissions had the most impact on the speed of decisions.
The report finds that delays are rarely down to one cause. It describes cumulative friction at multiple stages of the system.
Recommendations
The report calls for recent reforms to be implemented, changes in behaviour within the planning profession, greater capacity in planning authorities and wider use of digital tools. It also urges stronger coordination between planning, environmental and infrastructure processes. Other measures include skills expansion across local planning authorities, standardised national templates and reform of the consultation process.
Chris Ball, AtkinsRéalis president for UK and Ireland, said certainty matters as much as speed in moving more projects into delivery. He said investment in skills, a delivery-focused culture and consistent use of digital tools would all improve productivity and pace.
Ball added that recent reforms and the arrival of new planners are helping to build confidence in the system. "We all have a role to play to unlock investment and deliver the infrastructure and homes that will support long-term growth," he said.
The full report is titled Planning at Pace: Creating Certainty for Investment and Delivery.
Source: Construction Management · Image: Pixabay