Britain’s planning system will sway how the countryside votes in this General Election, as rural communities currently feel “politically homeless”.
This is according to the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which conducted a poll that revealed that 70% either agree or strongly agree that each party’s policy on planning reform will influence the way they vote, with 8% disagreeing.
CLA president Victoria Vyvyan said: “The first party who can match our aspirations for a dynamic rural economy won’t just secure significant support; they may just win the election.”
The poll of 350 rural businesses also revealed that 73% say they had been forced to abandon plans to invest because of planning problems.
Of those, nearly half had wasted at least £10,000 on projects before giving up, with 19% reporting losses of more than £50,000.
85% of respondents agree or strongly agree that the system has hampered the growth of their own business, with 4% strongly disagreeing or disagreeing.
94% say there was a lack of knowledge on rural issues and agricultural matters within the system, and 92% feel improved knowledge would be beneficial to projects.
Two thirds also believe the Green Belt restricts farm diversification projects, with 13% saying it did not.
Countryside vote is on a ‘knife edge’
Vyvyan said planning reform is key to winning rural seats, as the countryside’s vote lays on a “knife edge”.
“So many enterprises in rural areas could grow, create jobs, help provide housing, but are being stifled by an archaic planning regime that seems almost designed to restrict our ambition. This can’t afford to slip from party manifestos,” she said.
“Farmers and landowners are dynamic and innovative and want to help grow the rural economy, but time and again their efforts have been hampered and frustrated.
“Nobody wants to concrete over the countryside, least of all us, but instead of treating rural communities as museums, political parties need to support small-scale developments – adding small numbers of homes to a large number of villages, helping to provide lifelong housing for local people while also boosting the economy. “
The results follow CLA polling earlier this year revealing Labour will beat the Conservatives in the 100 most rural constituencies in England, with the Conservatives at risk of losing more than half their seats amidst a 25% collapse in support.
Planning system is ‘crippling businesses’
Farmer and rural business owner in Morpeth, Peter Hogg, said the planning system is “crippling businesses” like his.
“We had a farmhouse I wanted to convert into a B&B to help diversify our income. But the application dragged on for over a year due to a dispute over adding a small sunroom, which should have been straightforward given it was replacing a previous extension we’d demolished,” he said.
“The delay meant we lost a full season and over £30,000 in revenue. And when permission was finally granted, it took just two weeks and £800 to build the sunroom – four times less than what we paid in planning costs.
“If businesses like mine are to succeed, government must cut the red tape that’s stunting our growth and livelihoods. Beyond the financial impact, the mental toll is profound. Many perceived problems could be sorted in 20 minutes over a cup of tea.”
The poll follows the CLA publishing a blueprint setting out how the government can help unlock the full potential of the rural economy.
Two of the six documents focus on housing and economic growth, and make a series of recommendations including:
- Introduce a ‘planning passport’ for Rural Exception Sites to increase delivery of affordable housing by splitting the planning process for these sites into two stages. The first stage would provide the applicant with planning permission in principle, giving them certainty in their investment. Only if the scheme gains this permission will further expenditure be required, thus avoiding unnecessary time and expenditure on any applications that are likely to fail;
- Make it easier to convert agricultural buildings into homes in National Parks and National Landscapes, by expanding Class Q permitted development rights;
- Allow businesses to create jobs and grow the economy by expanding “permission in principle” for rural economic development;
- Provide £25 million to fund an extra planning officer in each local authority to ensure that planning departments are adequately equipped to deliver overdue reform to the planning system;
- Make provisions for specific training for planning officers to better understand the rural economy and its requirements.
