Key Planning Permission Trends in 2024 Set the Stage for 2025
Planning permission in England took a dramatic turn in 2024, with increased emphasis on sustainability, imaginative uses of new technologies, and further community involvement. A newly updated analysis from Planning By Design with added insight from their chartered town planner Ellie Law outlining the critical statistics, challenges, and opportunities in store for 2025.
2024 was a year of change and challenges
Latest data for district-level planning authorities in England, January to March 2024:
- Applications received: 85,800 – down 11% year-on-year.
- Decisions taken: 79,100 – down 9%.
- Applications granted: 67,400 – down 10%.
Political uncertainty along with a reduced requirement for Housing Land Supply has led to Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) struggling with budget cuts and a shortage of staff to further the decline. It also reports that a massive 90% of councils were experiencing shortages of planners which is further delaying the process and further inefficiencies.
Ellie Laws, head of planning at Planning By Design, explains: “The planning system has really been under considerable stress. Applicants face longer waits and higher hurdles for approvals against a backdrop of increasingly scarce resources. However, these challenges bring with them opportunities for innovative ways forward and clearer policy direction.”
Looking Ahead: Trends Likely to Shape 2025
1. Sustainability to the forefront: “With environmental resilience rising to the fore, the 2025 planning applications are bound for sustainable and resourcefully effective building solutions. Developers would have to incorporate circular economy principles, integrated renewable energies, and the reusing of existing structures where possible. The fabric-first approach and retrofitting of disused buildings will be key in meeting net-zero carbon targets.”
2. Efficiency-driving technology: “AI and digital twin technologies will necessarily make the application process easier through the introduction of data-informed insights and quicker decision-making. It will also further enhance the efficiencies of authorities reviewing the long-term impacts of the proposals. In 2025, developers should be expecting more transparency and scrutiny.”
3. Greater Community Engagement: “Public participation will grow as authorities encourage local engagement in shaping developments. Larger projects will be required to focus more on meaningful consultation, while smaller applications can ensure proactive communication with neighbours.”
4. Dealing with reduced volumes of applications: “With applications lower, the authorities can incentivise. Proposals such as fast-tracking sustainable developments or reduced fees for affordable housing meet the needs of reduced volumes while catering to society’s needs.”
Opportunities for Developers and Homeowners
Despite challenges, 2025 presents opportunities for innovation and collaboration. The long-awaited revision of the National Planning Policy Framework this December 2024 is likely to bring clarity, restoring confidence among both developers and homeowners alike.
“Targeted incentives and increased policy certainty will get the system moving again. Developers will have to get ready to shift the sands of change with new rules focused on sustainability, efficiency, and collaboration at the community level.”
Key Statistics for Major and Residential Applications
- Major applications: 90% decided within agreed timeframes, up 1% year-on-year.
- Householder development applications: 39,800 in Q1 2024, down 15% year-on-year.
This shows the increasing difficulties put up to the smaller projects as the number of household applications sharply declined. According to Laws, “Household developments are essential to local housing need and economic growth. Simplifying the process and using planning consultants can make the projects viable. 2024 has exposed the system’s failures, at the same time, it has set the stage for a more progressive attitude toward it.
Planning By Design encourages policymakers, developers, and homeowners to collaborate in creating an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient planning system. Embracing these trends now will unlock opportunities for a stronger and more efficient process in 2025.
To learn more view our blog on planning permission trends in 2025 here.
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