The last three years have presented several fundamental challenges to the plan-led system in the West Midlands, and this perfect storm has had stark implications for plan coverage, housing and employment delivery and economic growth across the region.
The “planning system should be genuinely plan-led”, and “up-to-date plans should provide a positive vision for the future of each area; a framework for addressing housing needs and other economic, social and environmental priorities; and a platform for local people to shape their surroundings” we are told. A statement few, if any planners could disagree with.
And, on the face of it, plan-making is quite simple. Indeed, the recipe for it is clearly set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (2021) [NPPF] and supporting Planning Practice Guidance [PPG]. But as most planners will be aware, that surface-level simplicity is far from the truth.
Indeed, it is fair to say that the last few years have been choppy, both nationally and in the planning world. Uncertainty; a word at the forefront of most planning professionals' minds over the last few years – arising from the political machinations of successive Governments, Covid-19 and the marked increase in interest rates and construction costs – has had a profound impact on plan-making across the Country.
As a result, local planning authority [LPA] plan-making has taken quite the hit nationally, and importantly, in the West Midlands. To some, this is politically expedient, but for those interested in proper, sustainable and strategic planning, this is a concern. The consequences of this might not be immediately obvious, but there will be significant impacts nevertheless. Indeed, for a region that prides itself on its recent economic success and future growth aspirations, a plan-led system is critical. To this end, this Insight Focus seeks to quantify the costs of this perfect storm on immediate and long-term growth for the West Midlands.
