“The Association for Rental Living (ARL) broadly welcomes Royal Assent of the Planning and Infrastructure Act today, marking one of the most significant changes to England’s planning and infrastructure system in a generation and presenting an important moment for the rental living sector.

“Planning is, at its core, a human enterprise. It shapes how people live, meet, and belong. Rediscovering that purpose is the most powerful reform of all. A more purposeful, participatory, and people-centred planning culture can transform not just the pace of delivery, but the pride and trust that underpin it.

“The planning system’s move to a more rules-based, strategic approach dovetails with the key characteristics of professionally delivered rental housing, including Build to Rent. The introduction of a national framework for delegation of planning decisions to officers, Spatial Development Strategies, reforms to infrastructure project consents and clearer routes for large-scale regeneration should improve certainty, pace and investability upon which institutional-capital depends. The shift away from unpredictable committee decision-making towards delegated, technically grounded determinations also has the potential to reduce risk,and delay, for well-prepared Build to Rent schemes.  

“The Act falls short however in addressing several persistent issues facing Build to Rent namely the absence of a statutory, nationally consistent definition of rental living tenures leaving continued opportunity for inconsistent interpretation, no national planning obligations for long-term rental models and no guarantee of local authority resourcing which will be essential if the Act’s designs are to be delivered upon.

“Today’s Royal Assent marks not the end of reform but the beginning, with secondary legislation, statutory guidance, commencement timetables and how consistently local planning authorities apply the new powers, determining the Act’s success. ARL stands ready to provide a positive approach to planning reform”

Brendan Geraghty
CEO, Association for Rental Living