A call for fairness and reform in the planning process: an open letter

Dear Members of Parliament, local Council leaders and decision-makers,

We are writing as a Castle Donington-based architectural design firm deeply invested in our local community, supporting residents in navigating the planning process to make improvements to their homes and lives.

However, recent experiences with the local planning authorities have raised serious concerns about the fairness, efficiency, and accessibility of the planning process. We believe it is time for meaningful reform as we enter a new year to ensure the system serves local residents effectively throughout 2025 and beyond.

Importantly, we fully empathise with local authority planning teams, who are often overworked and underresourced. Our goal is to find ways to better support these vital teams, ensuring that the planning process works more effectively for everyone involved.

The challenges facing local residents

1. Excessive delays
   The statutory target for planning decisions is often exceeded by weeks, sometimes months. For example, decisions can take up to six months, despite the statutory 8-week target. These delays create significant uncertainty and frustration for residents, leaving them in limbo as they await decisions that directly affect their lives and homes.

2. Unnecessary costs
   The costs associated with planning applications have become a significant burden. Residents are often required to commission expensive and unnecessary reports – such as ecology surveys for projects that clearly have no environmental impact – which add both financial strain and further delays.

3. Lack of communication
   Planning officers frequently fail to communicate with applicants or their representatives, leaving queries unanswered and preventing collaborative solutions. In many cases, simple amendments could address concerns, but the lack of dialogue results in outright refusals, forcing applicants to reapply and pay again.

4. Inconsistent decision-making
   Local applicants are disheartened by inconsistent and subjective decision-making. Decisions that hinge on subjective judgments often feel arbitrary, leaving applicants confused and disheartened. In many cases, clear guidance early in the process would prevent refusals and additional costs for reapplications.

A system in need of reform

The current system is causing undue stress and financial strain on local residents. This is not just an issue for those directly affected – it undermines trust in local governance and hinders the improvement of homes and communities.

As a firm, we are calling on you, as our elected representatives, to push for an investigation into how planning applications are managed locally. We urge the government to engage with key stakeholders – including planning authorities, architectural design firms, and local residents – to identify the root causes of these systemic issues and propose solutions that will:

• Foster a culture of communication and collaboration between planning officers, applicants, and their representatives, with clear and open communication from the outset.

• Ensure planning authorities are adequately resourced to meet statutory deadlines.

• Simplify the planning process and reduce the need for unnecessary reports and associated costs for residents.

• Providing consistent and transparent application of policies to restore trust in the process.

Let’s build a better – fairer – process for local residents

Our community deserves a planning process that is fair, efficient, and supportive of residents' aspirations. The current system is creating unnecessary barriers for people trying to improve their homes and their lives. We firmly believe that these changes will not only benefit individual applicants but also help create thriving, well-designed communities.

We invite you to join us in championing this cause and working toward a planning system that works for everyone. We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you in the new year to discuss this further and to share our experiences in greater detail.

Yours sincerely,

Benjamin and Jodie Heginbotham
Co-directors - The Practical Planning Company