How does planning policy keep pace with a changing industrial & logistics market?

Sep 15

1 min read

Richborough Commercial hosted the latest Real Estate:UK (RE:UK) Industrial Committee in Birmingham, chaired by Benjamin Taylor of Newlands, with Richborough Commercial Planning Director Matt Dugdale joining the discussion.

• The revised NPPF was high on the agenda, particularly the greater role for market signals in assessing employment needs and what further guidance is needed to make that work effectively in practice.

• We also discussed data centres, a rapidly growing part of the sector with very particular requirements around power, fibre and location. Proposed new mayoral planning powers also prompted discussion, including the 15,000 sqm threshold for strategic commercial development and how new call-in powers could work in practice without adding unnecessary delay and uncertainty.

• The Committee also considered the Draft London Plan, alongside wider market and policy issues affecting industrial and logistics development.

✅A useful discussion about how the planning system can better respond to where the market is going, rather than where it has been.