Planning Reform: A Fresh Look at Development Opportunities

The Government’s latest comments on planning and economic growth reinforce what has become an increasingly clear direction of travel: the planning system is expected to support sustainable development, investment and economic growth, rather than allow commercially sensible proposals to be unnecessarily constrained.

For property owners, developers and businesses with existing estates, this could create opportunities to revisit sites or proposals that have previously been difficult to progress.

At TMDP LLP, we are increasingly looking at projects where development potential may be constrained by outdated Local Plan policies, historic planning positions or requirements that appear disproportionate to the scale and nature of the development proposed.

That does not mean that planning controls have disappeared. However, changes in national policy and the increasing emphasis on growth mean that the balance against which some proposals are considered may be changing.

This is particularly relevant to clients considering investment in existing commercial premises, hospitality and leisure properties, redevelopment opportunities, changes of use, extensions and the wider development of existing property estates.

Is it worth looking again?

A previous refusal, restrictive Local Plan policy or difficult planning history does not necessarily mean that a site should remain off the table indefinitely.

As national policy evolves, there can be value in reviewing existing property portfolios and previously considered development opportunities against the current planning position rather than the policy environment that existed several years ago.

TMDP combines architectural design, planning, heritage and project delivery experience, allowing us to consider not simply whether a development is possible, but whether there is a practical and commercially sensible route to delivering it.

Sometimes it is worth taking a fresh look at what might now be possible.

To discuss a site, existing property or development opportunity, contact TMDP LLP.

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