Midlands homebuilder gets green light for over 350 homes

Spitfire Homes, a Midlands-based homebuilder, has obtained planning approval for 351 homes across the region.

This includes a 280-home project in Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, 61 properties at a former Sandvik HQ in Halesowen, Dudley, and 30 new homes in Crowle, Worcestershire.

Ben Leather, managing director at Spitfire Homes, states that obtaining planning permission has been a very tough and lengthy process. He said: “Reserved matters permission for one of these developments took almost 12 months to secure, despite being an allocated site in the local plan with outline permission already in place, and no objections from any statutory consultees. Another development on a brownfield site was challenged by unjustified design and highway requests, whilst staffing changes within the planning department further slowed the process which took over a year.

“These are just some recent examples of how the current system prevents housebuilders from delivering homes needed in strategic locations within acceptable timeframes.”

In response to this, Housing Secretary Michael Gove has introduced fresh measures to address the planning system and encourage more home construction in suitable areas with local approval.

Developers will be expected to offer increased fees to strengthen a better, more streamlined planning process. However, Leather believes these changes fail to create a viable mix of homes for all needs to resolve England’s housing challenges.

Leather continued: “We support the principle of paying higher planning fees if it means local planning authorities spend those additional fees on increasing the resources within their teams and it isn’t diverted to other Council departments.”