Here at Principlanning, our investment into the sustainable development does not stop once we obtain planning permission for our clients. Throughout our ongoing investment into the developments we promote through the planning process, our desire is always to see sustainable development delivered.

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In that light, we are considering the short, medium and long-term impacts of Covid-19 on deliverability.

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The first discovery was that the short, medium and long-term impacts, in a planning context, are interchangeable. That creates very real planning issues which need resolving in the short term in order to ensure deliverability in the long term.

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I am sure we have all thought about the use of viability review mechanisms to ensure delivery in uncertain times. But how do we ensure the delivery of heritage benefits with the minimum enabling development required?  

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As an example, the viability of the project to re-develop and protect a dilapidated heritage asset without enabling development is considered to be viable with rather extreme sensitivity to changes in the market (i.e. a 2.5% decrease in finished value combined with a 2.5% increase in build costs results in an un-viable development prospect).

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How are we to minimise the risk to the developer to ensure delivery of the great benefits without the enabling development, or with the minimum required enabling development, with such insecurity in the markets?

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Off the cuff, in the context of traditional viability review mechanism, how about granting permission for the enabling development to its full extent, legally restricting phases of enabling development until such a time that they can be evidenced as required along trigger points in delivery of the principle benefit of the proposal.

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This is yet to be tested but is one of the many long-term impacts of planning post Covid-19 which need resolution in the short term.

Ultimately, Covid-19 will alter the sustainability-deliverability nexus in planning. Its going to be an interesting time to be involved in promoting sustainable, and deliverable, development prospects.

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Principlanning is up for the challenge and will be constantly reviewing the impacts of Covid-19 on deliverability.

 

Principlanning would be happy to assist in resolving any issues a land promoter or developer may be having in these uncertain times.