Nearly 1,000 planning applications are submitted – every day

Since the start of 2017, around 870,000 planning permission applications have been submitted across the UK as homeowners opt to expand their homes and towns and cities seek to develop amenities to cope with ever-changing needs. Planning departments across the UK have been inundated with 893 application forms every day, equating to 37 per hour.

New research from Churchill Home Insurance reported in today’s Property Investor Today has revealed that nearly two million people have complained about planning permission applications since the start of 2017, working out at approximately 80 objections raised every hour over the past three years.

These people, often referred to as NIMBYs (‘Not in My Back Yard’), are against new buildings or projects being developed too close to where they live.

“These are fascinating statistics,” said Zah Azeem, Partner at Scrivener Tibbatts.

“According the research London has received the highest number of objections, with a huge 482,000 raised since 2017 – over a quarter (26%) of all the objections noted. In total, 55 objections have been raised in the capital since the beginning of 2017 for every 1,000 people living there.”

These applications include plans for building new homes, hospitals, hotels, car parks and wind turbines, as well as extensions to existing properties and proposals to create landfill sites and waste industries. On average, each planning application faces 2.2 objections.

Further research, carried out by Opinium among 2,000 UK adults in September 2019, highlighted the issues that Brits feel they are in their right to object to, with private rights of access (51%) the most commonly-cited reason. Loss of view and land and boundary disputes were in equal second (both 50%).

A negative impact on property value (43%) and the impact of construction works (39%) completed the top five of issues that might encourage people to embrace NIMBYism. 

If you would like to discuss this or something related to a valuation please contact zah@scrivenertibbatts.co.uk or call us on 020 8947 7040.