What we do

Planning

Making sure that planning is helping, not hindering, our economy

Successive governments have modified the country's planning system, but there's a general recognition that it still doesn't work as well as it could, and should. 

The new government came into power on the back of Conservative and Liberal Democrat manifestos that included aspirations and policies to change the planning system. We are monitoring developments closely and will lobby to ensure that changes help, and don't hinder, economic growth and regeneration.
 

Our longest standing planning campaign concerns the community infrastructure levy (CIL), a tax that will raise money on new residential and commercial development. We worked closely with the government to ensure the regulations would achieve their aims without overly penalising the industry.

The coalition government is standing firm on its key tenets of localism and the Big Society. The Localism Act 2011 gives further details concerning how these principles will change the way the planning system works and how local communities are to become more involved in the development process. The Act introduces the principles of Neighbourhood Planning and the Community Right to Buy amongst others. We are working with the government on these changes to make sure that they work with, rather than against, the development industry.

The new National Planning Policy Framework has swept away thousands of papers of previous guidance, so it's crucial that the framework creates a streamlined system within which good development can take place. (Click here to see our response to the NPPF)

We have supported the Killian Pretty Review of the planning system and its recommendations on how it could be streamlined. We have also supported the Penfold Review and are working closely with the Government to implement the various suggested changes.

Our Planning Committee is very active in defining our views on the planning system as well as helping us to work with government on improvements.