<p>Changes to the planning system proposed by the government’s planning white paper may “result in more cumbersome consents,”fears the housebuilding industry. Andrew Whitaker, head of planning at the Home Builders Federation has highlighted specific concerns over proposals to allow local authorities more freedom to adopt supplementary planning documents (SPDs) without reference to government, and the devolution of fee-setting to local planning authorities alongside the removal of the current £50,000 cap.</p> <p>Whitaker said: “The proposal to allow local planning authorities to produce SPDs without reference to government is of great concern and runs against our discussions with CLG officials.” He added that changes to planning fees may not result in better performance. “Proposals to remove the cap on the maximum fee and the suggestion to charge for compliance with conditions attached to an application will do little to encourage speedier application processing.”</p> <p>HBF executive chairman Stewart Baseley said the focus must remain on unblocking the system, to boost housebuilding levels. “We would like to see a bigger focus on achieving positive outputs from planning, rather than on detailed changes to process. “I particularly hope that the creation of a new independent planning commission, alongside the removal of some domestic household improvements …