Who are the winners and losers of the planning permission postcode lottery?

Planning permission has long been a stumbling block for many homeowners in the UK who wish to improve rather than move.

Related topics:  Property
Warren Lewis
7th June 2019
planning

A new study from price comparison website, MoneySuperMarket, has analysed over a decade worth of government statistics and consumer opinion finding that just 62% of applicants are successful in the capital.

A postcode Lottery

People seeking planning permission in Enfield find it tougher to gain approval than anywhere else in England, according to new analysis from MoneySuperMarket.

By contrast, the Local Planning Authority in the North Yorkshire district of Richmondshire granted the highest rate of approvals, giving the green light to 99% of applicants in the area, while the UK average for the 2017/18 financial year stood at 88%.

The national approval rate has been steadily on the rise since 2006/07, when it was as low as 82%. However, while the approval rate is increasing, the total number of planning requests submitted has decreased by 27%.

The data also reveals 5% of respondents discovered that they did not need to submit an application for their project at all – meaning they could have saved £206 on the fee for a single housing development application. This equates to over £4.8million wasted by unnecessary applications.

Rachel Wait, consumer affairs spokesperson at MoneySuperMarket, commented:“Improving your home can be an exciting but challenging time, especially when it comes to planning permission. The good news is there are a range of government and independent sources available to help you understand how things work.

Despite three quarters of people saying that the planning permission process wasn’t an enjoyable experience, nearly nine in 10 applications were successful last year. Hopefully that means the difficulties faced by applicants are generally paying off.

If you are looking to build your own home, there are specialist self-build mortgages available and it’s important to do your research and shop around before making your decision.”

For more information on the planning permission process, visit the MoneySuperMarket Planning Permission Report.

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