Planning permission extended by new Housing minister

Housing minster John Healey today announced a three-year extension to planning consent duration if front of an audience at the Royal Town and Planning Institute planning conference in London. . In his first official speech in his new role he said a new mechanism would be introduced allowing planning permissions to last for up to six years after consent. Currently Planning permissions that are not used currently expire after a three-year period.

Healey said: "The Prime Minister has said that we'll do whatever it takes to see people through these tough times, keep companies in business and people in their homes. So today I'm announcing the power for local authorities to extend the time limits for existing planning permissions. This will help to make sure that more homes, offices and factories get built at a time when investing in new developments is difficult and when access to funding is hard.”

Mr Smith, head of policy at the RTPI, said: “We welcome the principle of extending the life of planning permissions… However we consider that it is very important that the final power to make a decision about the extension of the duration of planning permission rests with local planning authorities, who will be able to use this new power pro-actively to ensure development remains on track.”