According to a study by Public First, councils should routinely engage a representative sample of residents to inform their local plans and decisions to tackle opposition and unlock development.
The study says 55% of UK adults generally support development in their area, with 33% opposed.
Young people, Labour supporters and Londoners are most likely to back new development, while those in the South East, East of England and Reform UK supporters are most likely to oppose it.
However the research finds engagement with Yimbys (Yes In My Backyard) and Nimbys (Not In My Backyard) in the planning process is low. Just 29% of Yimbys have commented on a planning application, rising to 38% of Nimbys.
Public First calls on councils to engage a minimum of 500 residents, with larger samples in bigger areas, and consider their gender, age and location to be a representative. Residents should be required to consider trade-offs in local planning, such as whether development should be in towns, villages or new settlements.
Councils should also test public opinion on whether Section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy funds should be directed to key services such as:
This would help tackle the concerns of people who generally oppose new development.
The government should update the online Planning Practice Guidance section on Plan Making to expect councils to consult a representative sample of residents as part of the consultation process, with representative engagement becoming a legal requirement if proven to be effective.
It adds that once local plans truly reflect representative opinion, planning applications for allocated sites should not require further committee approval.
The study follows research backed by the Royal Town Planning Institute in May, which called for secondary legislation to set out expectations for representative public participation as a way of engaging the "silent majority" in favour of development.
RTPI Communications and External Affairs Director, Simon Creer, said the Public First study challenges "the received wisdom" that the public opposes development.
"If there is a majority who are more likely to support development across all demographics as this report suggests, then it’s very important that they are given a voice in the system".
"There’s an obvious prize here – properly communicate and engage with local communities at the local plan and spatial development strategy level, in the future, and gain majority support".
"The question which I would like to answer is how do we activate this ‘quiet yes’ and turn it into a shout".
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