Future Challenges for Planning the RTPI Andrew

Future Challenges for Planning & the RTPI Andrew Pritchard BA (Hons), MA, MRTPI Chair of RTPI East Midlands

Introduction • • Review of recent history Current challenges Some alternative futures What remains the same for councils in any eventuality • What do you want of the RTPI?

The Context

Planning & Housing March 2010 • Regional Plans • Local Development Frameworks • Regional allocations for housing, transport & economic development spending • Fiscal stimulus boost to Affordable Housing Programme

May 2010: Proposals for Change • Localism & deregulation • System based on neighbourhood plans • Removal of Government targets for housing & planning • Fiscal incentives to encourage house-building • Presumption in favour of sustainable development

Coalition Policy in Practice • Abolition of regional planning (eventually) • Introduction of Neighbourhood Plans – but Local Plans take precedence • A new ‘duty to co-operate’ • Simplified statements of Government Planning Policy (NPPF) & guidance • Deregulation of ‘change of use’ and permitted development rights • Re-introduction of council planning performance targets

Challenge: Duty of Co-operate • • • Stevenage Mid Sussex Aylesbury Vale Brighton West Dorset NW Leicestershire

Challenge: Finance • Annual Housing Benefit Bill: circa £ 21 billion (revenue) • Annual affordable housing program: circa £ 2 billion (capital) • Is this balance right? - how can it be changed?

Challenge: Housing Supply

A political consensus? • Major political parties agree on the need for more housing & for a new generation of ‘garden cities’ • But they differ fundamentally on the means by which this should be achieved

Alternative 1: Unleash the Market • The planning system increases the cost of land results in a more inefficient housing market (LSE/Treasury perspective) • Replace planning with a market based allocation system (e. g. ‘land auctions’) • Homeowners and businesses should be directly compensated for development to reduce local opposition

Wolfson Prize for Economics • £ 250, 000 to come up with a proposal for a new Garden City • Proposals should be visionary and popular, but must not require any public money to deliver • Secretariat for competition by Policy Exchange • Deadline for entries: Monday 3 rd March 2014

Alternative 2: Mobilise the power of the State • Follow the model of the early post-war period which delivered record levels of housing growth • 1946 New Towns Act still on the statute book and could be used again • Boost compulsory purchase powers • Invest in a new generation of council housing

Lyons Housing Review • Set up by Labour to find ways of increasing housing delivery to 200, 000 pa • Proposals for unlocking development land; infrastructure deliver; new garden cities; ‘right to grow’; planning gain • Call for evidence deadline: 28 th February 2014

A Third Way? • Strategic Land Investment Companies: Local authority/private sector joint ventures • Development uplift shared between public and private sectors to incentivise land owners and fund public sector service provision

Dealing with uncertainty! • Regardless of the outcome of this ideological debate, some things are likely to remain constant for councils over the next Parliament (2020)

Get your plan in place! • The Achilles heal of the current system is the lack of plan coverage • Without either Structure Plan or Regional Plan the local plan is the only show in town • Councils must get plans in place to retain a credible system

Delivery is king! • Government is acutely aware that development remains at historically low levels • Credible 5 Year Housing land supply is essential • Councils must act proactively to get development away

Neighbourhood planning: Here to Stay! • Neighbourhood planning is a perceived success • Both Government & opposition have voiced support • Councils must work with communities to support neighbourhood planning

Make co-operation work! • There are no proposals from either the Government or Opposition to re-instate statutory strategic planning in the next Parliament • Council’s must make co-operation work • More Joint planning arrangements?

RTPI Corporate Priorities • Shaping and informing planning policy and practice; • Developing knowledge, education and raising standards; • Supporting members and growing membership numbers; • Empowering communities; • Achieving and maintaining effective governance and management.

East Midlands RTPI 2014 • November/December 2014 – 5 University hosted debates to celebrate the RTPI Centenary • Undertaking an external Review of both structures and services to ensure that we are financially viable and ‘fit for purpose’ • Review to be completed by September 2014 to feed into new Business Plan

What do you want from the RTPI in the East Midlands?