Planning changes 'could help larger developers'

Government proposals intending to make it easier for homeowners to renovate and extend their own properties could also prove to be beneficial for larger developers, one organisation has claimed.

The Home Builders Federation (HBF) has said that if the plans have the expected effect of reducing red tape then larger developers could find their own applications processed more efficiently.

The government announced in a White Paper published in May proposals to assist householders in building conservatories and other adjustments where neighbours are not unduly affected.

"Mainstream developers have their concerns about how longwinded and difficult and complex the planning system can be," commented John Slaughter, director of external affairs at the HBF.

"That's the hope from our side: if you make it easier and less bureaucratic, where it doesn’t need to be for small applications, it might also have a knock-on effect in assisting the process of larger applications," Mr Slaughter added.


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