Revolutionising the planning process through community action

Published by Fiona Mannion for TCPA in Communities and also in Central Government, Housing, Local Government

Bob Neill MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government, will today address a major conference, ‘Building a new relationship between people and planning’ by leading housing and planning charity, the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA).

The Coalition Government has set out plans to revolutionise the planning process by ‘taking power away from officials and putting it into the hands of those who know most about their neighbourhood- local people themselves.’ The Government aims to make the opportunity available for communities to exercise genuine influence over what their home town should look like in the future.

The ‘Big Idea’ as part of the ‘Big Society’, is to create the freedom and the incentives for those places that want to grow, to do so, and to reap the benefits. The Government wants communities to have a reason to say yes to development.

TCPA Chief Executive Kate Henderson said:

“Today’s conference is all about debating what a new, invigorated relationship between people and planning can look like. Taking place as the Localism Bill passes through Parliament, the conference will be an opportunity for the Government to set out its ambition for community planning, and for a number of experts from the public, private and third sectors to showcase practical pathways to delivery through case studies, tools and techniques.”

The ‘Big Debate’ session will be an opportunity to discuss the principles of community-based neighbourhood planning, focusing on the ‘Big Question’ – ‘how do we move towards a new relationship between people and planning?

Speaking ahead of the ‘Big Debate’ session Mark Henderson, Chief Executive of the Home Group, said:

“For us, the purpose of neighbourhood planning is to understand what individual residents want their neighbourhoods to become. In today’s system people often feel excluded or ignored by the process. Yet, an effective planning system is essential for the health of our communities, the environment and our economy. If people are going to live in communities then it is only logical that they are engaged from the very beginning of the process.”

The TCPA is grateful to the Home Group and Action for Market Townsfor supporting this event.