Today’s announcements on yet more planning reform by the Government as part of the 2015 Budget, has been put in the ‘in tray’ marked ‘CAUTION’ by a number of key people who really do understand what is wrong with the current planning system.
CPRE – said the Government had to really show that it meant what it said on ‘green belt’ and support neighbourhood planning; whilst emphasising that it wasn’t planning permission that was stopping building on brownfield. http://www.cpre.org.uk/…/4016-cpre-reflects-on-government-s…
Clive Betts MP – who ran last year’s NPPF review, agreed with CPRE, saying it was remediation and viability of brownfield that was the sticking point, not planning permission: he too was concerned about the seeming shift away from Localism and local people making decisions. He wanted to know far more, especially about the idea of zoning. (link also contains the full text of the Government’s paper). http://www.parliament.uk/…/clive-betts-on-productivity-plan/
Planning Expert Andrew Lainton – thought that zoning was the big story of the announcement; but wondered if the Government really understood it was about masterplanning, and taking a strategic view of a place; not just about building houses. https://andrewlainton.wordpress.com/
Meanwhile, CPRE Chair Shaun Spiers, had an interesting blog earlier this week, about the real issues with getting brownfield developed and building more houses. https://cpreviewpoint.wordpress.com/…/06/getting-houses-bu…/
Finally, a smile is in order at the reaction of Bradford’s Executive for Planning, Val Slater, who once threatened to ‘lock horns’ with the ‘middle class NIMBY’s of Wharfedale and force them to take more housing. Her reaction to the comment today that there was ‘no need to build on green belt’? “ absolutely ridiculous”. http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/…/13407570.Governmen…/
Aireborough Neighbourhood Development Forum 
You must be logged in to post a comment.