The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) has released a report recommending changes to the planning system, moving away from an economic centred approach to place people at the heart of the process.
The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) writes:
The planning system was invented to help provide a good home, for everyone, in a healthy, thriving place. But in the last few decades something has gone badly wrong. Instead of having people’s welfare as its priority, nowadays the English planning system puts economic growth above all else.
The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) believes that this must change, and has today launched a radical new manifesto that seeks to put people back at the heart of planning.
Speaking today at the launch of the manifesto, at Queen’s University, Belfast, Dr Hugh Ellis, Head of Policy for the TCPA said: ‘We all care about the quality of our lives and condition of our communities. People need decent healthcare, schools, jobs, public transport, green spaces, locally grown food, low-carbon energy, affordable homes which are accessible and have enough space for kids to play, a creative culture, vibrant sports and the arts. These are all things that make life worth living. These are the things that all sections of society should be able to enjoy as a matter of course regardless of where they live or their ability to pay. These are the foundations of the good society. These are the things that planning can, and should, make happen. As we strive to put people back at the heart of planning, we are inviting organisations and individuals who, like us, think that the aim of planning should be to improve people’s lives, to sign up to support the manifesto.’
The Planning4People Manifesto which forms part of a year-long collaboration between the TCPA and the Webb Memorial Trust sets out what planning should be, highlighting the need to place people at the heart of planning proses and to emphasise social justice as a key outcome.
The manifesto also includes a number of key asks of Government, including the establishment of new national minimum standards for housing with mandatory minimum standards for accessibility and space.
