Bright Blue responds to the Government’s announcement that mayors will now be able to both grant upfront permission for development so that building can begin without a developer having to apply, as well as to take over key planning applications and direct a council to take it forward, as called by Bright Blue’s 2026 report, Higher ground: A centre-right vision to raise living standards.
Bartek Staniszewski, the Head of Policy at Bright Blue and co-author of the report, commented:
“The inability to build — whether when it comes to housing or infrastructure — has been at the root of Britain’s problems over the last decade: a source of ailing growth, poor productivity and the high cost of living.
“Giving upfront permission for development is one of the best things that could be done to make building easier, as it allows developers to get cracking with construction without being subjected to years of delay or the arbitrary whims of planning committees. Mayors should make extensive use of their new power to give upfront permission for the development of a new generation of great British homes, power stations, data centres and reservoirs.
“Hopefully, this announcement is but one of many to move Britain away from a discretionary planning system and ever-closer to one where expectations on what and how can be built are already clear before a construction can begin.”
Bright Blue had previously called to give strategic authorities the power to introduce upzoning policies and impose them on local authorities which fail to meet their housing targets.
Photo credits: James Sullivan
