Budget October 2024

Key points on Planning and Development.

The recent budget confirmed or added to the revisions being proposed by the the new government to Planning and support for Development Schemes.

Changes that are worth noting which might impact the local area include:

• Planning and Infrastructure Bill - this is planned to be published “early next year”.
• Response to recent NPPF consultation - This will will be published by the end of the year.
• Planning Staff -  £50m  has been allocated to aid the planning process including Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects. This will support the development of 300 new ‘graduate and apprentice’ planners, to particularly Increase local capacity to deliver planning reform to unlock large housing sites.
• Infrastructure planning - confirmation of a pro-development approach to using planning powers afforded to the Secretary of State determine Nationaly significant Infrastructure ProjectsSIP and large-scale planning projects themselves “where they contribute to economic growth”.
• Housing - £3bn to support SME builders and build to rent schemes through housing guarantee schemes which give access to low-cost loans for those operating within this field.  This will include £70m in 2025‑26 to “support infrastructure and housing development while boosting nature’s recovery”. This will include £14m for the Nature Restoration Fund, which seeks to offset against environmental impacts of development, and £13m to expand Protected Sites Strategies. How the remaining £43m in this pot will be spent is unclear.
• Right to Buy - Reduction of the discount on Right to Buy scheme introduced in 2012, the receipts generated by sales can be kept by councils.  This could have a major impact on a council's ability to provide Socail/Affordable Housing.
• Devolution -Confirmation that a Devolution White Paper for regions and Local Authorities will be published in due course.
• Local Growth Funding - The Government will reform the local growth funding landscape at Phase 2 of the Spending Review, including rationalising the number of funds and moving away from competitive bidding for funds.
• Infrastructure - A 10-year infrastructure strategy will be delivered in Phase 2 of the Spending Review which is due in spring 2025
• Industrial strategy; Funding to assist the delivery of the Industrial Strategy, as outlined in the recent Green Paper.  This include £520m for a new Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund, and Tax reliefs for the UK’s world-leading creative industries  (might include the Games Industry?) equivalent to £15bn of support over five years.