A new report is calling for a simplified planning system to boost house building and promote economic growth.
Pink Planning, published by the Centre for Policy Studies, calls for the creation of ‘Pink Zones’ to provide a diluted regulatory planning regime. It warns that the current system is ‘paralysed’ and the new system proposed in the report would tackle Britain’s planning problem.
It claims that Pink Zones - working from the bottom up - would help kick-start new developments that are underpinned by social infrastructure. The report says they would also help bypass many current planning regulations and increase competition.
Report author, Keith Boyfield, said: ‘In the past a great number of housing developments were built in the UK by private entities – in some cases of a philanthropic nature, such as Bournville. Pink Zones could trigger institutional funding for investment in new housing – institutions such as life insurance companies, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and charitable foundations.
‘Ultimately Pink Zones would create more and better homes for people throughout the country and tackle the poverty of aspiration which typifies much residential construction in this country. People would be happier and the country would be richer.’
