The Planning White Paper and its implications for Affordable Housing

We are holding a webinar entitled 'The Planning White Paper and its implications for Affordable Housing’ on 30th September 2020.

The webinar will last about an hour and costs £30 plus value added tax (a total of £36).

This webinar considers the Government’s White Paper ‘Planning for the Future’ that was published in August 2020. The White Paper is applicable to England. It focuses especially on the implications for affordable housing.

The Planning for the future consultation proposes reforms of the planning system to streamline and modernise the planning process, bring a new focus to design and sustainability, improve the system of developer contributions to infrastructure, and ensure more land is available for development where it is needed. The consultation concludes on 29th October 2020.

New Flats developed by Catalyst Housing Association in Kensington, London.

The White Paper runs to 84 pages and is based on three 'pillars':

• Pillar one – Planning for Development
• Pillar two – Planning for beautiful and sustainable places
• Pillar three – Planning for infrastructure and connected places.

The government states that the reforms will mean that:

• Local communities will be consulted from the very beginning of the planning process. By harnessing the latest technology through online maps and data, the whole system will be made more accessible
• Valued green spaces will be protected for future generations by allowing for more building on brownfield land and all new streets to be tree lined
• Much-needed homes will be built quicker by ensuring local housing plans are developed and agreed in 30 months – down from the current 7 years
• Every area to have a local plan in place – currently only 50% of local areas has a plan to build more homes
• The planning process to be overhauled and replaced with a clearer, rules based system. Currently around a third of planning cases that go to appeal are overturned at appeal
• A new simpler national levy to replace the current system of developer contributions which often causes delay
• The creation of a fast-track system for beautiful buildings and establishing local design guidance for developers to build and preserve beautiful communities
• An ambition that new ‘zero carbon ready’ homes delivered under our new system will not require any future retrofitting.

However, the White Paper has been much criticised by those in the local government, planning and housing sectors; principally because it is considered that it will facilitate uncontrolled development and prevent the development of affordable housing.

All those with an interest in Planning and Affordable Housing should attend including elected Members in local authorities; Planners; Housing managers; and Finance managers; and Board members in Housing Associations and Arms’ Length Management Organisations.

The webinar will be of particular interest to those who wish to prepare responses to the government's consultations.

The presenter will be Adrian Waite, a former Finance Director at a local authority and Chair of a Housing Association, who is well known for his ability to explain complex strategic and financial matters clearly.To view his biography, please click here.

It is possible to ask questions during and after the webinar. The webinar is also accompanied by a very useful briefing paper that will be provided to participants alongside a copy of the presentation used. A recording of the webinar is available after it is completed. Participants will also be provided with Continuing Professional Development (CPD) certificates.

To make a booking, please click on of the following link:

• The Planning White Paper and its implications for Affordable Housing - 30th September 2020

AWICS offers Webinars on a broad range of subjects relevant to public services, local government, housing and finance.

Whether or not you have ever attended an AWICS webinar, we would like to know about your views on webinars. We would therefore be grateful if you could complete our short survey that you can find by clicking HERE