4.3 million households on housing waiting lists. Rents at record highs. Infrastructure blocked for years. The evidence for reform is overwhelming — and the time to act is now.
The Town and Country Planning Act 1947 was built for post-war reconstruction. It has not kept pace with modern Britain — and the people paying the price are renters, young people, and the millions on waiting lists.
England builds ~200,000 homes a year — a third below its own 300,000 target. The Resolution Foundation estimates a structural shortfall of 4.3 million homes. The average first-time buyer is now 33, up from 29 in 1997.
Resolution Foundation, 2023The National Infrastructure Commission found approval times for nationally significant projects doubled to over 4 years between 2012–2023. A direct barrier to the energy transition, grid expansion, and modern transport.
NIC, 2023Private rents in England rose 9.2% in the year to December 2024 — the highest rate on record. The Resolution Foundation links planning-constrained supply directly to rent inflation, costing renters ~£2,300/year extra.
ONS, Dec 2024DLUHC data shows 68% of major planning applications now exceed the statutory 8-week deadline. Planning officer numbers fell 20% in real terms between 2010 and 2023, while application volumes rose.
DLUHC, 2024Only 39% of local authorities had an up-to-date Local Plan in 2023. This triggers planning by appeal — unpredictable, expensive, and consistently delivering worse outcomes than proactive plan-making.
Planning Advisory Service, 2023The planning system over-represents existing homeowners who benefit from rising values and can organise to oppose change. Renters and young people are structurally excluded — a political economy problem as much as a policy one.
LSE Housing, 2022"The planning system is the single biggest obstacle to increasing housing supply in England. Reform is not optional — it is arithmetically necessary."
"England's discretionary, case-by-case approach creates uncertainty, inflates costs, and systematically under-delivers. The evidence for a rules-based zonal approach is strong."
"Approval times for nationally significant infrastructure projects have more than doubled. This is a structural problem of an underfunded, under-reformed system."
"Failure to reform planning has been the single largest contributor to the widening gap in living standards between homeowners and renters, and between generations."
Every claim on this site is grounded in published research or official statistics. Full references with links to primary sources. Updated March 2025.
We don't campaign for any party. We campaign for specific, deliverable reforms — each grounded in published research and precedent from comparable democracies.
The December 2024 NPPF revision reintroduced mandatory LHN targets, weakened in 2022. These must be robust, consistently applied, and insulated from local political pressure. The IFS identifies mandatory targets as the single most effective lever to increase housing delivery.
Planning officers fell 20% in real terms between 2010 and 2023, while application volumes rose. 68% of major applications now miss deadlines. Fix: increase planning fees, ring-fence revenue for planning teams, restore Whitehall resourcing of the Planning Inspectorate.
The NIC documented a doubling of NSIP approval timelines since 2012. Reforms needed: statutory timeboxing of examination stages; limits on repetitive re-submissions; a fully digital Planning Inspectorate; and up-to-date national policy statements so examiners have clear frameworks.
The gap between agricultural and residential land values in England is among the largest in the developed world. Reforming the Land Compensation Act 1961 for fair-price compulsory purchase would enable local authorities to assemble sites and deliver affordable homes — standard practice in Germany and the Netherlands.
The LSE CEP has shown England's discretionary, case-by-case model creates systematic uncertainty and inflates development costs. A rules-based zonal approach — where designated residential zones carry automatic permission in principle — reduces delays and costs without sacrificing design quality.
Planning consultations over-represent existing homeowners and under-represent renters, young people, and prospective residents. Reforms: digital-first consultation, mandatory weighting of housing need statistics in decisions, and participatory models that include those who'd benefit from development.
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Personal letters from named constituents are logged and read by MPs or senior caseworkers, with measurably higher response rates than template campaigns.
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill is before Parliament now. MPs are still forming views. Your letter contributes directly to that deliberation.
In constituencies with high proportions of renters, MPs have shifted towards pro-reform positions under sustained constituent pressure.
This is the most significant planning legislation in a generation. MPs are still persuadable on the detail. The time to write is now.
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Fix Planning is a non-partisan, evidence-based campaign for planning reform in England and Wales. We are not aligned with any political party.
Fix Planning is a voluntary, non-partisan campaign. The case for reform is so compelling on the evidence that it should command support across the political spectrum. We work with researchers, housing professionals, and campaigners of all backgrounds.
We were founded in 2024 in response to the stalling of meaningful planning reform in the face of organised opposition from incumbent homeowners. The people who bear the costs of undersupply — renters, young people, those on waiting lists — are systematically under-represented in planning processes.
We are part of the Progress Labs network of evidence-based campaigns. We have no commercial relationship with any housebuilder, developer, or landowner. Our reference list is public. Our letter tool processes no data server-side.
We aim to change the political environment by mobilising public pressure, equipping supporters with the evidence they need, and making peer-reviewed research accessible to non-specialists.
The planning debate has for too long been dominated by those with a financial interest in the status quo. Our role is to give voice to the 4.3 million households on waiting lists and the millions more who can't afford to buy or who are priced out of their cities.
If you want to get involved as a researcher, campaigner, designer, or organiser: [email protected]
We cite peer-reviewed sources and official statistics for every quantitative claim. Where evidence is contested, we say so. No assertion without a citation.
We do not support any party. The evidence for planning reform cuts across party lines. We work with researchers and campaigners from all political backgrounds.
We campaign for specific, deliverable reforms — not general concern. Our six-point platform is grounded in comparative policy analysis and international precedent.
Our reference list is public. Our letter tool processes no data server-side. We are a small voluntary campaign with no commercial interests in any development, anywhere.
We don't campaign to abolish planning. Good planning is essential for quality places. We campaign to reform a system that has become a tool for obstruction rather than thoughtful growth.
Planning decisions affect people not yet in a place. The system should weigh the interests of future residents — the next generation, those priced out — alongside existing ones.
Fix Planning is a voluntary, non-partisan campaign for planning reform in England and Wales. Data protection queries: [email protected]
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