Watch the full episode on YouTube here.

In this episode, Paul talks to Wyn Evans, a founding partner at Shared Voice and co-creator of the highly successful Just Build Homes movement. They discuss successfully navigating the planning process. As a former councillor and planner,  Wyn knows why the planning process often fails. To address these issues, he and his team have developed innovative ways to engage the community in a positive way. This innovative approach means that when your project is considered for planning, local people support the project instead of opposing it.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Planning decisions are heavily influenced by politics. Councillors need votes, so if they think the majority is against development gaining permission is difficult.
• Polls show that the majority of people support development.
• Human nature means that those who are opposed to your development will attend any meetings. When councillors see this their perception is that the majority are opposed.
• Talking to people about their housing aspirations fuels their desire for you to build more homes in their area.
• Some older people with a NIMBY mindset can be persuaded by the fact their children are more likely to be able to afford to live nearby.
• Many older people want to downsize, so point out that your development helps meet those needs.
• Focus more on communication, rather than consultation.
• Understand the pressure councillors are under and work to minimise that.
• The new government is now pushing councils to approve more housing.
• Once you have built, invite councillors to have a look.

BEST MOMENTS

“For the last 40 years, planning policies have all been driven by the attitudes of the public.”

“If 100 people are supporting a scheme, regardless of how many objections there are, it is much easier (for a councillor)  to support that scheme.”

“We think focusing on the public has a bigger impact on councillors.”

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://sharedvoice.co.uk

https://justbuildhomes.co.uk

ABOUT THE HOST 

Paul Higgs is a Chartered Planning and Development Surveyor with 40+ years' experience in land, planning and development and a 100% success track record in winning planning consents.

Paul undertook his first refurb project when he was just 17 and then worked his way up from labouring on building sites to becoming Head of Land for renowned plc housebuilder, Barratt Developments. He managed to escape the corporate world in 2002 to set up what is now a multimillion-pound award-winning property development company, Millbank Group. 

In 2013 Paul founded the Millbank Land Academy, the UK’s first training company dedicated to property development; to teach established and aspiring developers the insider secrets the big housebuilders don’t want you to know! 

Paul is also a founding investor and former board director of the industry-leading PropTech Co, LandTech, and has lectured on Advanced Development Valuations on the MSc Property Development at London South Bank University.

CONTACT METHOD

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higgs

Millbank Land Academy: https://www.millbanklandacademy.co.uk

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paulhiggsofficial

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@InsidePropertyDevelopment