RTPI publish new report into value of planning

The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), alongside the Universities of Glasgow and Sheffield, have issued a report about how good planning can deliver sustainable economic growth and housing. However, it also recognises that the value of planning is not being realised, and this is mainly due to decades of almost continual changes to planning policy and regulation.

It states "thirty years of almost continual changes in planning policy and regulation, and failure of policy to recognise and support the potential of planning, has left the UK incapable of consistently delivering ... good quality new places". The report also recognises that local government budget cuts have limited the abilities of local planning authorities to deliver better development.

Recently, the Government has been amending planning legislation in order to try and support the delivery of large numbers of new homes. However, in a recent RTPI poll, 53% of English RTPI members questioned felt that planning changes have actually hindered housing development.

The report also states that in England, "constant change is producing a planning system that is more complicated and more uncertain, with less local autonomy, consultation and accountability...a reduced ability to ensure the development is well-planned and connected, and a narrower range and number of affordable housing to rent or buy".

RTPI President, Phil Williams, said “For too long planning has been relegated to a reactive, bureaucratic function, instead of being able to plan strategically to drive development, jobs and growth. We are hearing from our members a clear sense that deep budget cuts and constant changes have hindered their ability to operate strategically and perform a leadership role."

The report goes on to suggest that there are three key things that need to be done:

• planners need to talk more about how better economic, social and environmental outcomes can be achieved through well-planned development, with less emphasis on planning procedure;
• national and local government need to consider the powers, resources and expertise that planning services and agencies require to ensure that better outcomes are consistently delivered;
• in research and in policy, the value of planning needs to be analysed according to the extent to which it delivers social, economic and environmental benefits, and what needs to be done to ensure these outcomes are maximised in practice.

However, this report does not focus entirely on the issues that planning is facing in demonstrating its value. It draws on the example of five award-winning developments in the UK that show how planning can, and does, deliver good housing and economic growth.

For more information, see the:

• RTPI - Delivering the Value of Planning