Planning Gridlock: How to Navigate Delays and Get Projects Approved Faster

Read time: 3.15 minutes

Welcome to the 48th issue of the Punchline Memo, specifically tailored for leaders in construction and the built environment!

The UK government has committed to building 1.5 million homes by 2029—but it’s not bricklayers or builders holding things up. The real bottleneck? Planning delays. Developers and contractors across the country are stuck in limbo, waiting months—sometimes over a year—for approvals that should take weeks.

While we can’t rewrite legislation, firms that know how to work smarter with the planning system can speed things up, reduce holding costs, and keep projects moving.

Why It Matters

Planning delays have become one of the most disruptive factors in UK property and construction. According to the Home Builders Federation, the number of major residential applications processed on time has dropped significantly since 2020.

These delays are causing:

• Project cost overruns due to extended holding and finance costs.

• Resource planning issues, as labour and materials sit idle.

• Damaged client relationships when timelines slip through no fault of the contractor.

With local authorities overwhelmed and planning departments under-resourced, you need to play the system better—not fight it harder.

Deeper Dive: 5 Ways to Navigate Planning Delays More Effectively

1. Know Where Delays Happen—and Plan Around Them

Delays often stem from the same predictable places:

• Incomplete applications

• Lack of clarity on design intent

• Failure to meet local policy requirements

• Delays in statutory consultee responses (e.g., highways, heritage, environment)

Action Step: Break your planning process into clear stages and add realistic buffer time to your programme. If a council is averaging 6 months for a decision, plan for 8—not 4.

2. Build Relationships with Local Planners Early

Most firms treat planning officers like gatekeepers. The smart ones treat them like collaborators.

• Use pre-application consultations to understand what planners will push back on.

• Address local plan policies upfront in your Design and Access Statement.

• Be responsive: nothing slows an application more than a firm taking 3 weeks to respond to a request for more information.

Example: A mid-sized developer in the Midlands shaved 3 months off their planning timeline by holding informal pre-app discussions with planning officers to agree acceptable design parameters before submission.

3. Avoid Basic Errors That Trigger Automatic Rejections

Many applications stall because of avoidable admin mistakes—missing drawings, incorrect forms, outdated surveys.

Action Step: Create a simple internal planning checklist and get another team member to review every submission before it’s sent in. Second eyes catch easy wins.

4. Work with Planning Consultants Who Know the Area

A local consultant understands the nuances of the authority’s policies, preferences, and personalities. This speeds up approvals, reduces revisions, and increases the chance of success.

Pro Tip: Don’t just go with a big-name consultancy. Local knowledge often beats scale.

5. Track and Manage Planning Like a Project

Use tools like Monday.com, Asana, or a shared Gantt chart to track where each application is in the process. Assign responsibilities for follow-ups, documents, and deadlines.

Planning should be treated like a live job—not a form that gets submitted and forgotten.

One Actionable Tip for This Week

Look at your most recent delayed planning application and ask: What slowed it down? Then build a pre-submission checklist that includes that issue, for example: “All drawings to include north arrows, scale bars, and version numbers.” Start small, but improve with every application.

The Bottom Line

Planning doesn’t have to be a black hole. While delays may be inevitable, you can cut weeks—or months—off the process with better planning, stronger relationships, and cleaner submissions.

The firms who manage planning like a process—not a paperwork exercise—are the ones who stay ahead. Are you one of them?

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Stay tuned for more insights, updates, and a dash of humour in our upcoming issues. Until then, keep noticing, keep learning, and keep building!