Does the planning system have the capacity to match the government’s development ambitions?

Since Angela Rayner returned as housing secretary and Matthew Pennycook retained responsibility for housing and planning, many working in the industry have reacted positively. Their appointments have brought continuity back to the sector, which has been missing for a while.

Planning has suffered from repeated policy changes and shifting priorities under successive governments. Every change of minister has risked resetting the agenda, creating uncertainty for developers, landowners and local authorities alike. This time, the team responsible for introducing many of the current reforms remains in place, giving the industry confidence that policies are unlikely to dramatically change.

It comes as a relief because major development projects depend on certainty. Developers and investors are far more likely to commit time and capital when they believe the policy framework will remain consistent.

The government has also reinforced its ambitions through proposals to give local areas a greater role in shaping planning and development priorities. This sends a strong signal that housing delivery remains central to its growth agenda and that ministers are looking for ways to remove barriers which have held back development for too long.

However, while policy direction is important, I believe we are now entering a different phase of the conversation. The debate is becoming less about what government wants to achieve and more about whether the planning system has the capacity to make it happen.

Planning reform has already laid much of the groundwork. Whilst the sector continues to await the next iteration of the National Planning Policy Framework, the direction of travel is clear. Local plans are progressing, reforms to greenbelt policy are already creating opportunities that would have been difficult to imagine only a few years ago and the Planning and Infrastructure Act is also intended to streamline decision-making and reduce unnecessary delays.

The biggest challenge now is how all of this is implemented. Local planning authorities are carrying enormous responsibility. They are expected to prepare ambitious local plans, determine complex applications, engage with communities and deliver against demanding housing targets, all while many continue to face significant resource pressures.

That is why I believe local government will become the biggest bottleneck to delivering the prime minister’s ambitions. Planning officers have shown resilience over recent years, but delivery will not be accelerated if teams remain under-resourced. Faster decisions need teams of experienced planners, specialist consultees, modern digital systems and sufficient funding. Without those ingredients, none of the policy reforms will help.

However, the planning profession stands ready to play its part. Across the private sector we are already helping clients review opportunities created by planning reform, such as reassessing sites that may now be suitable for development. The appetite to deliver is there.

The government deserves credit for providing greater certainty and maintaining momentum through the appointments of Rayner and Pennycook. It should give the sector the stability it needs. But announcements alone will never build homes or deliver infrastructure.

Success will depend on whether local authorities are given the resources, expertise and support they need to translate national ambition into decisions on the ground. If that happens, the reforms already underway have every chance of becoming the catalyst for the step change in development that the country has been waiting for.

Angela Brooks is planning expert and partner at Fisher German