Local authorities should be offered incentives to speed up the planning process, Francis Salway, the chief executive of Land Securities, said yesterday.

Salway warned that the property industry’s eventual recovery from the economic downturn will stall if improvements are not made to the procedure of gaining planning permission.

Speaking at the property conference MIPIM, he said developers could offer local authorities resources – including funding – to accelerate the process. He also suggested that councils receive business rates directly from the occupiers that move into the new properties. Councillors should receive formal planning training to help them take more informed decisions, he added.

Daily Telegraph