Property development companies cannot legally proceed with building new homes on a plot of land (or ‘site’) without first receiving planning permission. It can sometimes prove challenging for property developers to get their planning application proposals for a housing development site accepted by the local council’s Local Planning Authority.
Familiarise Yourself with What the Local Planning Authority is Looking For
You must look for information that explains in detail what will make the local planning authority accept your planning application for a new residential development. Have a look through the policies and regulations, which could mean that your property development company fails to get planning permission granted by the Local Housing Authority.
Prioritising Safety is Key to Getting Planning Applications for Housing Developments Accepted
To get planning permission for your housing developments, the Local Authority needs to see evidence that you are putting the safety of residents first in all your plans.
You need to demonstrate to the Local Planning Authority that you have:
- Taken into consideration fire safety requirements for the proposed properties and buildings on the site from an early stage in your planning application.
- Arranged the site layout in a way that is conscious of fire safety, e.g., emergency exits placed around buildings and the road leading up to the housing development being wide enough so that it’s accessible for fire engines should they ever be needed.
- Identified nearby water supplies to fight any fires.
Ultimately, making sure your housing development adheres to fire safety regulations laid out in the planning permission requirements from the local planning authority will help save the lives of residents in case of an emergency. Property developer firms caught flouting fire safety regulations will face mammoth lawsuits and risk going out of business, or managers and key staff members held responsible for ignoring fire safety can even be sent to prison and prosecuted.
Make Sure the Land You’re Planning to Build on is Safe
To get a planning permission application for a housing development accepted, developers must also ensure the land is safe to build on. To get reliable topographical surveys for an area of land you are hoping to develop you can utilise the services of THS Concepts. Their experts have long-standing experience in topographical surveys, and can create comprehensive reports that save you time and money in the long run.
It is always much more difficult to get planning permission accepted for sites in the UK situated on or near to hazardous sites and pipelines. For example, land near hazardous waste management facilities or an area of land where hazardous substances such as pesticides, chemicals, and batteries are in the soil on which homes will be built. Building a housing development in such an area could turn into a public health risk for the residents on the site and local populations nearby.
Get Local Residents and the Community on Board
It is much easier for developers to get planning permission granted when they don’t have to overcome protests and pressure from local people against the housing development. Developers should do their best to persuade the local population of the housing development’s benefits to their community. For example, emphasising the project will protect natural habitats and ecosystems by committing to a 10% net increase in biodiversity on or near the development site.
Getting planning permission applications granted in the UK is never easy, so developers make sure you are well prepared.