Major cities in England are taking over half a year to determine new planning applications, according to a new survey.

The survey, produced by the British Property Federation (BPF) and GL Hearn, reveals cities are taking 'well over' six months to produce applications.

Both developers and local authorities identify a lack of resources within planning departments as a major barrier to development.

55% of respondents said under-resourcing is now a significant challenge while 50% believe the planning system is not operating as well as it was in 2010.

Approximately 65% of applicants believe higher planning fees might be part of a potential solution, which would help local authorities shorten waiting times and improve performance.

On average, the submission to determine time for a major planning application is 32 weeks across London, Greater Manchester and Bristol, and the surrounding area.


However, this is more than double the government target of 13 weeks.

In addition, the overall volume of major applications determined in London decreased by 26%.

Overall, 75% of respondents are dissatisfied with the length of time a planning application takes.

Shaun Andrews, GL Hearn's head of investor and developer planning, said: "We need to ensure that planning authorities have the right people with the right skills and powers in place to drive forward a growth agenda – and that the system is able to release the right resources when it's needed. For their part, developers need to speak with a single voice – and make it clear what levels of service they need and how much they are prepared to pay for it.

Melanie Leech, chief executive at the BPF, added: "This report shows quite clearly that local authority planning departments are struggling to cope as a result of the efforts to find savings across the public sector, and that this is having a negative impact on local authorities' ability to  deliver a timely and efficient service.

"The fact of the matter is that an effective planning system is crucial to enabling regeneration and development, and if government wants to meet the housing challenge and develop the commercial buildings that support our economy, it is going to need to take action."

(LM/MH)