Henry Boot boss: Planning delays are a drag on us – and Britain

Alterations to the National Planning Policy Framework should be a “sea change” for parts of development and construction group Henry Boot, according to its chief executive. Announcing the group’s interim results this morning, Tim Roberts said the NPPF changes will be “a significant opportunity for our business to speed up securing planning consents in our large land bank and development pipeline”. Its Hallam Land strategic land promotion subsidiary has already identified 8,500 plots in its landbank which it would speed up planning applications for, the company said, and it added that its ambition to grow housebuilder Stonebridge would also be easier to meet. The government has said that “decisive reform” of planning policy is needed. A consultation on the NPPF and amending the planning framework and local plan coverage ends on 24 September. “The big news for Britain and the good news for Henry Boot is the government is determined to free up the planning [system],” Roberts told EG. “That will be good for us because a big part of our business is promoting land, getting planning consents and then selling it. “But it also helps other parts of the business. At Stonebridge, one of the biggest impediments has been getting outline consents on the sites and then moving those into full detail consents. It’s just been so slow. It’s been a drag on the performance of Henry Boot, and it’s a drag on the performance of Britain. “The government, we believe, is determined to improve planning. We have got to keep their feet close to the fire on it, but they have made a very good start.” Henry Boot has consulted on the proposed changes via Hallam and also made its views known through the Confederation of British Industry.  The team “feel good about the proposed changes”, Roberts said, but added that there will be caution around some issues, including boosting planning resources in local authorities and ensuring that government action does not impede a functioning private market. “They have got to allow the market forces to prevail,” Roberts said on the latter point. “What I mean by that is that when we are promoting greenfield sites, we don’t want to be fettered by a government trying to interfere in market forces by taxing or restricting sales. “They have given a slight indication that they will do that on the greenbelt. On the green belt they are talking about golden rules – you’ve got to have 50% social and affordable housing – but there’s just a suggestion also that they don’t want there to be a material improvement in land value to the landowner if consent is granted on greenbelt. “I think the government has got to steer clear as far as it can – let the economy and market forces do its work.” Roberts’ words on balancing changes echo those of Harworth chief executive Lynda Shillaw, who told EG last week that the “cold stark reality is when planning reform comes, you never get everything you want”.  But Shillaw too welcomed the prospect of the NPPF changes overall and stressed their necessity. “The government is focused on growth,” she said. “It is focused on driving that by building things, not just housing, but employment space, green industries, and decarbonising the economy. “All of that, to be successfully delivered, requires planning reform and resources in the planning system.”