Social value is often misunderstood within the planning arena, and still hasn’t shaken off the perception that it is an inconvenience that prevents the delivery of new homes.
Despite this, social value has the ability to offer something that the standard planning framework cannot – the opportunity to significantly increase the value of new development in non-commercial terms.
For social value to be considered alongside viability and commercial returns, it needs to have a shared value for the private, public and voluntary sectors, ensuring that all stakeholders are benefitting from what should be the ‘golden thread’ of the planning process.
