Both parties talk about ‘rebuilding Britain’, but neither fully address how to turn promises into action

Now the party conference season has drawn to a close specialist Planning lawyer Emma Thomas asks why neither the Conservatives or Labour will properly address the elephant in the room when it comes to delivering new homes or infrastructure projects.

Whilst the two major parties have used conference season as the springboard to  promote their plans to deliver housing development and deliberate the most appropriate major infrastructure projects, including how best to deliver these, Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authorities are focused on obtaining crucial Central Government funding to deliver key services, including planning, to help unlock development throughout Yorkshire.

However, strategic planning to boost local economies cannot happen in a vacuum. Developers are all too familiar with the resilience – in both finance and timescales – required to progress planning applications and supporting infrastructure agreements.

It is not only ambitious schemes that require planning officers, solicitors and supporting colleagues to facilitate delivery. 

Whichever party wins the next election, Central Government must recognise the importance of funding to retain experienced existing staff, and to create and train a sufficient level of new officers to engage with both developers and local communities.

More resources and recognition and encouragement to communicate internally and enable decision making is essential to deliver development and boost the prosperity of our region. 

Knights are well versed in advising clients on how best to negotiate a planning system stymied by the resource difficulties which the region’s planning authorities grapple with, when seeking to deliver development. 

Involvement in events such as the Business of Yorkshire Conference provide the perfect opportunity for business and local government bodies to combine their strategic powers to lobby Central Government, deliver opportunities for Yorkshire and translate promises into action.

For more details about the conference, visit: https://www.businessofyorkshire.com/