Disjointed National Policy Statements threaten economic growth and recovery

Whitehall turf wars threaten economic growth and recovery in many parts of Britain by undermining attempts to co-ordinate planning for big infrastructure projects such as roads, ports and railways, warns a new report published today by leading housing and planning charity, the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA).

A series of National Policy Statements (NPS), a cornerstone of England’s new national planning system unveiled in 2008, are leaving different government departments to make their own plans for major infrastructure projects. This means, for example, that where a new high-speed rail link is planned that will create jobs and bring people into an area, too little consideration is being given to the demand it will create for an extra power station or new roads.

Connecting Local Economies - The Transport Implications, argues that a coherent national development framework is needed to inform local decision making, with a joined up transport policy as a first step, to make sure opportunities to build better transport links are not missed, threatening economic growth outside London and the South East.

The report, supported by the Local Government Association, says a rounded transport policy statement must address all aspects of transport – rail, road, ports and airports. Currently, the Department for Transport is producing individual statements which could work against each other – a far cry from an overall, joined-up policy.

TCPA President, Professor Sir Peter Hall said:

“The present system, in which the Department for Transport can make a statement on airports that takes no account of its own plans for a second high-speed rail line, makes no sense whatsoever. England desperately needs an integrated transport investment strategy in which each piece of the system makes its own optimal contribution, linking together into a seamless web of efficient and sustainable connections”.

The report maintains that all aspects of a major new infrastructure project need to be considered together so local economies benefit as much as possible; allowing councils to best plan where new homes and other services will be needed and give certainty to attract new investment into their area.

Peter Hetherington, lead author of the report and TCPA Vice President, said:

“It is vital to place the ‘disconnected’ state of England at the top of the policy agenda in the run up to a general election. Regardless of which party takes power, it is clear – from all the evidence of successful western economies – that England is simply not working to its full potential because of a disjointed planning system. While the recent Planning Act appeared to take a step in the right direction, its operation – through the current National Policy Statement process – needs urgent re-appraisal in the interests of making a market economy work better.”

While supporting National Policy Statements in principle, the potential difficulties are obvious and stem from trying to get different departments with differing policy areas to co-operate to ensure the production of a national framework, with a consistent commitment to sustainable development. The fragmented way that National Policy Statements are being developed does not inspire confidence that the Government has a coherent vision for infrastructure provision.