The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Housing and Planning has launched an inquiry into England's developer contributions systems.
Its intention is to build on the work of successive governments, parliamentary committees, and other experts to recommend improvements to the planning system.
Current opportunities and challenges facing England's developer contributions systems will be assessed, with the APPG to collect evidence based on the experiences of organisations, professions and people using section 106 and the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) to enable development.
The following are urged to submit evidence about the proposed infrastructure levy, as well as explore proposals to improve the existing developer contribution mechanisms:
The APPG hopes that the inquiry will help parliamentarians to understand the nature of responses submitted to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities' (DLUHC) technical consultation on the infrastructure levy, which closed in early June. The government wants to make sure the developers pay "a fairer share" for affordable housing and local infrastructure. It would be introduced as part of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill.
The proposal has received criticism. The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) said it would be a "step back, not a step forward" for the planning system in England, resulting in a "more complex and resource intensive" system. Also a coalition of 30 organisations has called on housing secretary Michael Gove not to proceed with the infrastructure levy because it could reduce the number of affordable homes delivered, and mean less money for vital infrastructure.
Using the inquiry's conclusion, recommendations will be sent to the government on the future direction of its planning reforms.
David Simmons CBE MP, chair of the APPG, commented: "I welcome the launch of this investigation by the APPG. It is a timely investigation into the challenges and opportunities facing England’s developers as we approach an election year. This investigation will go a long way to informing lawmakers of the situation facing the industry, and I echo the APPG’s call to representatives from interested parties to submit their evidence ahead of the deadline in September".
The deadline for submissions to the inquiry is 5pm on 5 September 2023. You can respond to the inquiry on the RTPI website.
