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The latest (and brilliant) report from Demos , The MIMBY Majority, drops a truth bomb on the planning system in England: most people aren’t against new housing - they just want to be asked properly, and early enough for it to matter.
At Commonplace, that message hits home. We’ve been banging this drum for years: the loudest voices in the room aren’t always the most representative, and the planning system is stuck in a cycle of tokenistic consultations that alienate the public instead of empowering them. The result? Distrust, delays, and developments that don’t reflect what communities actually want.
Communities hit hardest by poor planning - from unsafe housing to lack of green space - are the ones least likely to be invited into the conversation. If we’re serious about equity, then broadening who gets a say isn’t a bonus. It’s the bare minimum.
The "MIMBY Majority" report argues that the UK government's current approach to housebuilding - focused on overcoming opposition from so-called “NIMBYs” (Not In My Backyard) - is counterproductive and may actually be increasing resistance to development. The report emphasises that a majority of people in England are not strongly opposed or in favor, but are “MIMBYs” (Maybe In My Backyard), open to housing depending on the circumstances. The authors advocate for early and representative public participation in the new Spatial Development Strategies (SDSs), arguing that this approach will reduce delays, improve trust, and lead to better planning outcomes. Instead of sidelining communities, the report calls for engaging a diverse cross-section of the public from the start, which could speed up housebuilding, reduce legal challenges, and ensure policies reflect the true needs and preferences of the wider population. It recommends policy and legislative changes to embed participation in the planning process and presents a model for how authorities can do this effectively.
The Problem: Participation Theatre
Let’s be honest - most traditional public consultations feel like window dressing. Only about 6% of people bother to object to planning applications, and a mere 3% support them. Everyone else? Checked out. Not because they don’t care, but because the process feels rigged. Our own survey - which Demos cites - showed over half the public believes decisions are made “in secret to avoid backlash,” and most people think opposing a development is pointless because it’ll go ahead anyway.
And it’s not just apathy - it’s confusion. Demos found that 52% of people don’t even know how to take part in consultations. That’s not a flaw in the system - that is the system.
But it doesn’t have to be.
The Fix: Meaningful Engagement, Not Lip Service
The report’s big idea? The “MIMBY Majority” - people who are open to development, but only if it’s done with them, not to them. That’s our whole thing at Commonplace. Our B Corp Report 2025 shows that when engagement is easy, transparent, and actually feels worthwhile, people show up.
78% of our users said the time they spent on our platform was worth it for their community.
Let’s Talk Solutions
1. Trust Isn’t Dead - It’s Just Been Ignored
People want to trust the system. They just need a reason to. Only 23-24% of people trust local authorities to have their back. That’s brutal - but fixable. On Commonplace, we see 1 in 5 people come back to comment again on new projects. That’s not just a stat - that’s a signal. When people feel heard, they stay engaged. As one user put it, Commonplace “lets you comment freely - it’s not about being steered to the ‘right’ answer.”
2. Early Engagement Saves Everyone Time (and Headaches)
The Demos report nails it: early, representative engagement can reduce objections, de-risk planning, and even speed up Local Plans. No surprises there. Our platform is built exactly for that - continuous, low-friction, community-led feedback that turns consultations into collaboration.
89% of our customers say Commonplace helps them gather useful insights that shape better outcomes.
3. Better Policy Starts with Better Input
If you want policies that reflect real communities, you need to hear from real people - not just the usual suspects (or as we like to call them STP's - same ten people). Our tools let people interact with plans visually, not just in jargon-heavy PDFs. That means more inclusive responses, and more useful feedback.
Our data shows that over 74% of people express neutral or positive sentiment toward projects on our platform - a huge leap from the combative mood that usually defines public planning debates.
What We’re Doing About It
Commonplace isn’t just a platform - it’s a tool for rebuilding trust at scale. We’ve reached over 10 million people in the UK - nearly 1 in 5 of everyone over 13. And we’re not just talking numbers - we’re talking diverse, representative engagement.
Take Liverpool City Region (cited in the DEMOS report). Their “LCR Listens” strategy used Commonplace and reached nearly 2,500 people - including 42% young people, 18% ethnic minorities, and over half from deprived neighbourhoods. That earned them a National Planning Award. Why? Because they took participation seriously.
We simplify planning language, use interactive tools to cut through the noise, and provide data-driven insights that show what people really care about. Our AI-powered dashboards spot trends, map consensus, and give authorities a roadmap to action - not just a mountain of PDFs.
Final Thought: This Isn’t Optional Anymore
The “MIMBY Majority” report calls for a reset. We agree. This is about more than housing - it’s about changing how planning happens in this country. The choice is simple: keep treating public engagement like a box-ticking exercise, or actually listen, co-design, and deliver places people want to live in.
Let’s stop pretending it’s “NIMBYs vs builders.” There’s a smarter, more democratic middle ground. And at Commonplace, we’re already helping build it!
Thanks for reading...
We highly recommend listening to this RTPI Planner Pod Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/episode/5eFWXlaN8v76T3FSZHTTiF
And here's the report which is WELL worth a read! https://demos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-MIMBY-Majority_Report_2025_May_a.c.pdf
Commonplace are collaborating with Demos very soon, alongside Urban Initiatives , LDN Collective, and ECF, on a large-scale place based engagement and we would love your insights - so watch this space! More to follow!
To discuss how we can support your projects, drop me a DM Charlotte Dove Bowen or email me on charlottebowen@commonplace.is