Rethinking the planning system

Planning has a profound effect on people’s lives and is vital not just to our economy, but our health and wellbeing. But there’s a problem. The planning system in England is complicated and largely ineffective.

How do we put people and place at the core of planning? And how do we get the balance right between strategic planning at national, regional and subregional levels, and the interests of communities?

These and many other issues were raised at the launch of the Town and Country Planning Association’s (TCPA) new report Planning 2020 ‘One Year On’ 21st Century Slums? This report is a one year update following the Raynsford Review of Planning , a comprehensive review of the English planning system.

Panelists included:

• Rt Hon Nick Raynsford
• Richard Upton, Chief Development Officer at U+I
• Dr Hugh Ellis, Policy Director at the TCPA,
• Matt Thomson, Head of Land Use and Planning at CPRE
• Julia Foster, Managing Partner at David Lock Associates.

The issue

What was clear from all the panelists is we need a planning system that works, and this is currently far from being the case. Not only is there a lack of accountability and a fracturing of the system, there is a real risk that the current system is creating conditions for slums of the future.

I do want to make clear that there is much positive work taking place – in regenerating communities, providing jobs, and providing decent homes. There are also local authorities coming together to take a more strategic view of development at regional and subregional levels, doing good work largely in spite of the system.

But what became clear in the discussion is that the current planning system is fundamentally not working.  One example highlighted is the Wellstones permitted development site in Watford. The proposal is to covert an industrial unit into 15 flats. There are core issues with lack of light and the planned size for the units which will fail to meet government housing standards. There has been much anger about this proposal, from the community, from the Local Authority and the Mayor. Further details in the report and you can read a BBC article about here.

The underlying issue is the impact of deregulation. While arguments at the time were that deregulation would simplify the planning system, and effectively ‘unleash’ market forces that would transform the house building sector and provide much needed housing, it has largely failed. The result is a system that doesn’t work – for communities, for developers, for Local Authorities.

Putting purpose at the core of planning

A key argument coming out the discussion was the need for a fundamental review of the planning system that puts purpose at its core – a planning system which is both strategic and community driven; that is more predictable; that is fit for purpose including in addressing climate change; and one that has a clear focus on health and wellbeing.

And the importance of getting this right cannot be underestimated, including for individuals and communities. The report highlights research where illness caused by poor housing is estimated to cost the NHS £1.4 billion a year in first-year treatment costs. On the flipside, urban green spaces are estimated to provide £34 billion worth of health benefits each year to the UK population (p.24).

What would be needed to reform the planning system? As outlined in the report, there’s a very real need for:

• A fundamental review of the current planning system
• Better strategic planning at the national and regional level
• Improved public trust in planning and
• Improved support and rebuilding of planning capacity in local authorities

The impact of planning on how we function as individuals, and communities, and as a country cannot and should not be underestimated. And this needs to be driven by a national conversation.