Planning Disputes Could Be Resolved Sooner

Often property renovation or home improvement work can be stalled by issues with planning applications. The scale of the work could be anything from a steel balcony to a self-build property. These can involve disputes with neighbours or other interested parties, and work is then held up for months whilst they are dealt with. A new law being introduced by the government aims to reduce the number of cases being heard and deal with those that are within a quicker time frame.

New Bill to Be Passed

The Justice Department has recently announced its plans to set up a series of planning courts which will hear details of contested applications. The changes in the law are part of the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill and this should be operational before the summer. The courts will have the facilities to hear around 400 cases every year.

The courts will be run by specialist judges who will hear details of the disputed projects and make their judgements on the case. Currently, planning disputes can become tied up for months, resulting in construction work stalling until the issues are resolved. One of the key benefits of this new bill will be that the judges will have to deal with each case within a set time period. This enables the property owner to see a clear time frame and have an indication of when work is likely to begin again.

As well as dealing with cases in a timely manner, the new courts will be aiming to reduce the number of unnecessary cases that are heard. Often these appeals are simply a waste of time and do not have any clear merits. All they succeed in doing is preventing work from being started on projects, which could impact financially on the property owner as well as any building or construction companies that have already been hired.

This new bill is not only good news for property developers and construction companies, but it is also positive for the economy as a whole. The construction industry is a key indicator of the health of the nation and if it isn't functioning properly then the overall economy is brought down.

It will mean that property development becomes a less risky business, with those concerned more aware of exactly what is and isn?t permitted. Whether it?s building a two-storey extension or a steel balcony, work should be able to begin much sooner.