Localism minister Greg Clark has said that the Coalition’s proposed planning reforms will mean a step-change in the role of planners, as they will ‘have much more scope to help local people articulate their vision for their town or village or neighbourhood’
Seán O’Reilly, Director of The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC), the professional body for built and historic environment conservation specialists, has noted how accurately the minister’s new vision for planners reflects the longstanding role the local conservation officer has played within their own community.
O’Reilly said: “District conservation officers can work most effectively when they help articulate the huge interest people have in the quality of their own local places. The skills that the IHBC requires of its professional members – in assessing values, communicating, presentation and partnership working – are rooted in those of the Conservation Officer.
Those skills reflect just how the heritage sector as a whole has always relied on working in partnership with local interests to secure the best in conservation and heritage regeneration for the ‘amazing and inspirational places’ that we already have!”
The Planning Portal reports as follows:
In a speech to a Town and Country Planning Association conference, Clark argued that, ‘planners have been the first victims of the flaws of the current planning system’.
“Often, their job has involved much too much development control – saying yes and no to individual projects on a case by case basis – and too little genuine planning, thinking about the long-term needs of an area, talking to local people, and drawing up positive proposals for the future. Planners have become a lightning rod for people’s sense of frustration,” he said.
“Instead of being the agents of imposition, they should have much more scope to help local people articulate their vision for their town or village or neighbourhood,” Clark said.
He added: “There is significant change ahead for planning. Taken as a whole, our reforms will help get England out of the house building trough, make businesses see planning as a reason to invest, not a disadvantage, and give planners opportunity and encouragement to do what they do best: to create amazing, inspirational places.
“Above all they will give communities a far greater sense of ownership over decisions that make a big difference to their quality of life. They will allow for the exercise of genuine power at a local level; and put the ideals of the Big Society at the very heart of planning.”
Search Planning Portal: LINK
