Planning Across Continents: Same Challenges, Sunnier Skies?
The team at Euan Kellie Property Solutions tell me not to mention the weather whenever I speak to anyone back in the UK. The endless sunshine has certainly been a perk of working remotely from Perth, Western Australia, for the last 22 months (exacerbated I'm sure as a result of being born, raised and living in Manchester). Another perk (if my inner planning geek allows me to admit) is seeing a different planning system in action.
The contrast between the UK and Western Australia (WA) planning systems is striking: Perth’s urban sprawl versus the UK’s compact cities, the sheer amount of land available here compared to the UK’s constrained green belts, and, of course, the climate, which influences everything from building materials to flood risk considerations.
Yet the fundamental challenges remain familiar: a lack of resourcing within local government and skilled professionals more widely (not helped by a lack of planning related degrees and courses being offered by WA Universities), delays in approvals, and, a housing crisis that continues to put immense pressure on planners, policymakers, and communities. It is no wonder that the public perception of planning can often be one of frustration rather than facilitation whichever side of the world you are on.
That’s not to say there aren’t lessons to be learned. Western Australia’s planning system, while complex, has taken steps towards streamlining approvals for major projects and prioritising infrastructure-led development. In particular Development Assessment Panels (DAPs) introduced to decision making in 2011, incorporate independent technical experts alongside local government representatives onto decision making panels. DAPs aim to balance professional advice with local insights, leading to more informed and balanced outcomes - helping navigate the complexities between politics and planning.
In 2024 further reforms have included streamlined approvals to simplify the process for single houses and minor residential projects, reducing the need for local government intervention and freeing up resource; alongside centralised decision-making, allowing developers to bypass local councils for projects over a specified value, by directing applications to centralised assessment panels. Whilst it's relatively early to assess the full impact of these reforms, initial indicators suggest positive outcomes in quicker turnaround times for development approvals, more uniform decision making, and an uptick in housing delivery.
Meanwhile, the UK’s renewed focus on urban regeneration, density and brownfield-first policies could serve as a model for WA as it looks to balance growth with sustainability. Specifically, planning policy could require higher minimum densities in strategic locations, such as near train stations (in particular the METRONET program) and activity centres, reducing car dependence and urban sprawl; and through the introduction of a structured brownfield register, proactive rezoning policies, and financial incentives to accelerate brownfield redevelopment.
Ultimately, the core challenges of planning are universal: balancing growth with liveability, managing competing interests, and ensuring communities have a say in shaping their built environment. The planning systems may differ, but the headaches remain the same.
领英推荐
At least in Perth, I can tackle them with a coffee in hand, sitting in the sunshine. ??
#Planning #PlanningPolicy #FutureCities #Reform #Collaboration