When the coalition government’s Localism Bill was introduced, commercial property developers were expected to benefit from improved efficiency and planning procedures. The Infrastructure Planning Commission was to be abolished and replaced with a system for fast-tracking major infrastructure and commercial property developments. Local Enterprise Partnerships were introduced, offering commercial property businesses and local authorities the chance to build alliances to drive economic growth and create local jobs.
Now, five months after its introduction, a survey has been released, showing significant opposition to the bill across the political spectrum.
The report from CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) gathered the opinions of 400 councillors and 2,000 members of the general public across the UK. A quarter of Conservative councillors and a third of Lib Dems are opposed to the Localism Bill and just 6% of Labour councillors are in favour. Not exactly a vote of confidence!
The CBRE research is reported to show that there is confusion over who the Localism Bill is intended to target – local businesses or local authorities. This is making it difficult to apply in a way that benefits both parties, putting the growth agenda, central to the government’s attempts to kick-start the UK economy, at risk.
At the time of the unveiling of the report, a poll of 200 senior property professionals was carried out. It found 46% were concerned about the increased risk of NIMBYism arising from the bill, as outlined in some answers from the 2,000 general public respondents, potentially placing commercial property projects and general economic growth in jeopardy.
The various measures introduced by the government, including Enterprise Zones and the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) are seen as insufficient, with 58% of respondents stating that the RGF doesn’t provide access to the necessary levels of cash to make a difference.
Commercial property eyes are advised to fix themselves on the next local elections, where Labour is expected to make gains, potentially increasing the number of councillors opposed to the bill.
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