AtkinsRéalis research highlights multi-stage challenges in planning system

  • 62% of respondents say planning timelines either significantly influenced investment decisions or were a major determinant
  • 69% say local planning authority resource constraints primary factor behind delays
  • 39% cited incomplete or low-quality submissions impacting speed of planning decision making

AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear company, has published new research* that highlights the crucial role an effective planning system has to play in realising some of the UK’s biggest ambitions, from housing delivery and infrastructure investment to regional growth and regeneration.

But it also exposes some of the inherent challenges in the system from local authority capacity to statutory consultee engagement, which are leading to delays and extending project timelines threatening viability and delivery.

The report puts forward the views of more than 200 planning professionals, developers and public sector practitioners, alongside industry roundtable discussions and investor research — and comes as government seeks to accelerate housing delivery, modernise infrastructure and drive long-term economic growth through planning reform and increased infrastructure investment.

The findings are published today in Planning at Pace: Creating Certainty for Investment and Delivery, which explores the factors affecting planning decisions and their impact on investment confidence.

One of the key findings is that the UK’s challenge is not just about the speed of the planning process but its role in project viability, and the importance of a more certain, integrated and delivery-focused system in giving investors confidence to commit capital and bring projects forward. In fact, almost two thirds (62%) said that planning timelines either significantly influenced investment decisions or were a major determinant.

More than two thirds acknowledged decision making remains slow (40%) or very slow (29%), although the research reveals opportunities to speed up processes and overcome resource constraints.

It highlights that delays are rarely caused by a single factor, revealing a system experiencing cumulative friction across multiple stages, particularly around statutory consultee delays (57%), inconsistent decision making (44%) and complexity of assessments (33%) in addition to local planning authority resource constraints (69%) – despite the recent uplift in resource through an influx of new planners.

Factors outside of the scope of the local planning authority also emerged as a concern in the survey: 39% cited incomplete or low-quality submissions as having the most impact on the speed of planning decision making, and half (52%) attributed delays to statutory consultee input.

The report outlines proactive measures that could help to deliver planning at pace, such as skills expansion across local planning authorities, standardised national templates and reform of the consultation process.

Chris Ball, UK & Ireland President, AtkinsRéalis, said:

“A streamlined planning system is pivotal to the successful delivery of the UK’s infrastructure pipeline, but this research confirms that certainty is just as important as speed in building investor confidence and shifting more projects into delivery.

“There are some inherent challenges within the system that depend on more than the regulatory framework. Investment in skills, a delivery-focused culture and the effective, consistent use of digital tools will all positively impact productivity and pace across the planning process.

“The positive news is that recent reforms and an influx of new planners into the sector are all helping to create greater confidence in the system, but we all have a role to play to unlock investment and deliver the infrastructure and homes that will support long-term growth.”

As the central argument through the report is that the UK’s planning challenge is not speed but certainty, its recommendations focus on the effective implementation of recent reforms (including embracing new ways of working and changing behaviours in the planning profession), improving planning authority capacity, increasing the use of digital tools, and strengthening coordination between planning, environmental and infrastructure processes.

By creating a more integrated, delivery-focused system that reduces uncertainty and supports consistent decision-making, planners can give investors the confidence needed to accelerate housing, infrastructure and economic growth.