Government removes more red tape for planning applications

Planning minister Nick Boles introduced a consultation proposing measures to cut out “unnecessary paperwork, bureaucracy and duplication”.

It also plans to reinstate an applicant’s ability to challenge councils about the information necessary for an application to be valid, and remove the need for councils to list their reasons for granting planning permission. The Department for Communities & Local Government said this will “remove unnecessary paperwork from the application process”.

Many minor applications will also no longer have to provide design and access statements, which require applicants to explain how their design is a suitable response to the setting.

The consultation noted that, since the introduction of these statements, “there have been some concerns that they are excessively burdensome”.

Boles said: “We are determined to cut away the unnecessary burdens and paperwork and provide a simpler and swifter planning system for all.

“The changes we are proposing are another step to streamlining an application process that has been weighed down by the need to provide irrelevant detail.”

The consultation runs until 4 March.