Fast track applications to speed up planning process

Councils will be expected to compete to process planning applications and offer fast-track application services, like those available for getting a passport, in a shake up of the planning process outlined today.

Ministers want pilots to tackle the lack of incentive for councils to improve and speed-up their planning services by giving applicants the choice of whether to submit their plans to the local council, a competing council or a government approved organisation that would process applications up until the decision point. Decision making on planning applications would remain with the local council.

A consultation on the pilots and fast track services has been published today alongside other proposed measures as follows:

• details of how a new planning “permission in principle” approach will work in practice
• how councils will run brownfield land and small sites’ registers
• speeding up the neighbourhood planning process
• improving handling of planning applications with new thresholds for designating councils as poor performers
• extending permitted development rights for free schools