A Review on Issues and Challenges in Planning Application System Delivery from Selected Literatures

Ibrahim, A K; Aminudin, E; Pauzi, N N M; Zakaria, R; Hamid, A R A; Zin, R M; Roslan, A F; Abdullah, W Z W

Abstract

The approval of a Planning Application is a mandatory requirement enforced by Local Authorities before developers can proceed with any proposed project. This approval process is a critical step in ensuring that development proposals align with regulatory standards and community interests. However, obtaining Planning Application approval has emerged as a significant challenge within the construction sector, a concern that has been widely discussed on a global scale. Recent studies highlight growing dissatisfaction and frustration among industry professionals and stakeholders, who express negative feedback towards the inefficiencies and delays in the Planning Application system delivery service. This paper aims to investigate the underlying issues and challenges associated with the Planning Application system, drawing from an extensive review of thirty-five selected literature sources. The research adopts a clustering technique philosophy to systematically categorize the problems identified. By utilizing a benchmarking methodology, the study extracted and analyzed nearly 150 elements that represent the key issues and challenges as discussed by scholars and professionals in the field. The findings of this study reveal a broad spectrum of challenges that are recurrent across different regions and contexts. These challenges have been classified into four primary components: Governance, which includes the regulatory and policy framework governing planning applications; Administration, Organization, and Management, which encompasses the procedural and managerial aspects of the application process; Human Capacity and Skills, highlighting the competencies and expertise of personnel involved; and Technology and Infrastructure, focusing on the technological tools and systems that support the planning application process. In conclusion, the study provides a comprehensive overview of the critical factors that hinder the effective delivery of Planning Application systems, offering insights that could inform future reforms and improvements in the process.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Feb 1, 2025
• Deposit Date: Mar 21, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 21, 2025
• Journal: IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
• Print ISSN: 1755-1307
• Electronic ISSN: 1755-1315
• Publisher: IOP Publishing
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 1453
• Article Number: 012007
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1453/1/012007
• Keywords: Project Development, Planning Application System Delivery, Construction