The Chancellor of the Exchequer delivered his Budget to Parliament on 20 March 2013, generating a range of comments in response to a plan that signals little change overall.
The RTPI observes:
Government will:
· publish significantly reduced planning guidance for England by this summer, in line with Lord Matthew Taylor’s recommendations, providing much needed simplicity and clarity.
· make greater use of information on prices to ensure that sufficient land is allocated to meet housing and employment need;
· develop proposals by summer 2013 to ensure that local communities will benefit from shale gas projects in their area;
· ask local areas in England to put in place bespoke pro-growth planning policies and delivery arrangements, as part of new Local Growth Deals, pursued in response to Lord Heseltine’s review, and through City Deals;
· consult on allowing further flexibilities between use classes to support change of use from certain agricultural and retail uses to residential use to increase responsiveness within the English planning system.
CPRE warns:
Responding to today’s Budget statement CPRE condemned the Chancellor’s rhetoric on planning as misguided and dangerous. The group also expressed deep concerns about the Government’s transport strategy and the suggestion that it is going soft on airport expansion in the South East.
Adam Royle, spokesman for CPRE, says: ‘We heard yet more of the Chancellor’s misguided and dangerous rhetoric on planning today. If the Government undermines sound planning, it will put sustainable economic growth at risk. Countries like Germany show that good economic performance and strong planning systems can go hand in hand. ??’We will have to wait until next Tuesday when the final planning framework is to be published to see if the voices of reason in Government will yet win out.
‘From the Chancellor’s words we fear the longstanding protection for the wider countryside will be abandoned. That would mean that 55% of English countryside, including many locally loved green spaces, could be placed at the mercy of developers.??’Also extremely worrying is the suggestion that communities may not be given any time to ensure their local plans conform to the new framework . This could leave more then one third of areas that don’t currently have a plan exposed to a crude ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’.??’On the basis of the budget statement, the Government’s promise that the planning reforms are about empowering local people looks very hollow indeed.’
RIBA argues:
The 2013 Budget has failed to provide the stimulus for construction that will be needed to deal with the country’s housing crisis and support the beleaguered construction industry, the President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) said today in response to the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne’s 2013 Budget.
RIBA President Angela Brady said: ‘The construction industry shrank by 8% last year and we are continuing to see disappointingly low levels of housebuilding. Although the announcements today for further spending on housing and infrastructure are to be welcomed, it will barely make a dent in the delivery of the sustainable new homes and communities we desperately need.’
RICS opines:
We have been prominent in influencing Whitehall to ensure government recognises that construction, house-building and infrastructure are key to economic growth.
Today’s announcements reflect this to some extent. However, as our members have told us time again… we have yet to see delivery of these projects on the ground.
The Treasury affirms:
This Budget will help those who aspire to work hard and get on, buy a home, start a business or save for retirement.
RTPI News: LINK
RIBA News: LINK
The Heritage Alliance Article: LINK
CPRE News: LINK
RICS News: LINK
HM Treasury – Budget News: LINK
