How do we get things done?
Ridiculous paperwork
Excessive red-tape and paperwork has cost the UK billions of pounds and years of delays to critical infrastructure projects and individual developments alike. The planning application for the Lower Thames Crossing infamously runs to 359,000 pages; a longer distance than the bridge itself if the papers were laid back-to-back!
So how did we get here? How did we get into a situation where housing developments and megaprojects take so long to complete not because of time spent constructing them, but because of countless reports, consultations and regulations?
A deadly combination of complex and lengthy government regulations, excessive consultation of local opinions and a multitude of different levels of government to appease has resulted in the planning process becoming a slog which delays developments vital to the future of the British economy.
What do we propose?
As YIMBYs we call for a common-sense approach to be taken to development which does away with unnecessary bureaucracy and creates an approach which strikes a balance between granting planning permission for more developments at a faster pace, whilst also maintaining the key elements of bureaucracy that remain necessary to ensure development is carried out in a safe and sustainable manner. We believe this can be achieved through a bold and rigorous reform of planning policies at both a national and local scale.
We get there by putting pressure on politicians, and forcing action. This is why groups seeking to create discussion and change such as Warwick YIMBYs are so important.