IHBC NewsBlogs

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) think tank have responded to recent Government announcements regarding housebuilding by calling for further changes to planning legislation

The IEA writes:
Mark Littlewood, Director General of the Institute of Economic Affairs, said ‘Constraining housebuilding through artificial boundaries such as green belt restrictions is a key reason why house prices in the UK are very high and new homes increasingly small. Yet again, instead of reforming planning for all, politicians are trying to plan where new homes should be built and micro-manage the damage caused by existing regulations which hamper private sector housebuilding. Ultimately people, not governments, need to decide where homes should be built.

The potential gains from planning liberalisation are well documented: lower housing costs, a reduced cost of many goods and services, a better functioning labour market, and higher productivity and wages. It’s high time our politicians showed an appetite for taking on the vested interests opposed to reform.’

View the IEA news release

IHBC newsblogs on housing

The Heritage Alliance reports that its successful ‘Giving to heritage’ programme has trained over 350 organisations to date, and 18 new events are now available to book.

The Heritage Alliance writes:
A total of 36 workshops on 10 different fundraising subjects have been held across the country. Together with the 11 consultancy and support days, this means that no less than 350 different heritage organisations have attended at least one training event. It is also good to see so many heritage organisations coming to multiple events, which is strongly encouraged. Feedback has been very positive, and it is encouraging to see some fundraising successes coming through already.

Our mentoring scheme was over-subscribed and we had some excellent applications. The chosen applicants have been informed and the scheme starts at the end of March.

There are still some places available on the remaining workshops:

• 24th March: London, Stephens House and Gardens, ‘Audience Analysis and Marketing your Organisation’
• 27th April: Norwich Castle, ‘Corporate Partnerships’
• 30th April: Lancaster Friends Meeting House, ‘Fundraising in the Community’

.…and there are also places available on the last consultancy and support day, 24 March

View information on the programme 

The Heritage Alliance website

IHBC newsblogs on funding

World Monuments Fund (WMF) Britain has announced the appointment of John Darlington as Executive Director.

John Darlington joins from the National Trust where he was Regional Director, North West of England. In this position John championed a diverse portfolio of high profile projects at places ranging from mansions such as Dunham Massey, Lyme Park and Little Moreton Hall, to the mountains and countryside of the Lake District, creating partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders including the local communities.

John is passionate about conserving and protecting historically important heritage for the benefit of all. With a special interest in medieval monasteries and castles, John is also a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries as well as a Member of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists.

Pierre Valentin, Chairman of WMF Britain, said ‘John Darlington brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to WMFB as the organisation celebrates its 50 anniversary. We look forward to continuing to support iconic buildings under John’s leadership.’

John said ‘I’m absolutely delighted to be joining World Monuments Fund Britain. Our cultural heritage is not only a critical part of who we are today but also of our future. I am looking forward to working with the Trustees, the team and partners to build on WMFB’s successes and to continue to grow our reach, relevance and impact for generations to come.’

John will assume his position in June 2015.

For additional information please contact WMFB Project and Publicity Officer Sophie Buchanan on 0207 251 8142 or email sophie@wmf.org.uk

For more on the World Monuments Fund Britain see www.wmf.org.uk

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has said that, according to a new report, ‘Digital High Street Report 2020’ High Streets could make billions of pounds in additional revenue and increase footfall by making more of the latest digital technology.

DCLG writes:
High streets could make billions of pounds in additional revenue and increase footfall by making more of the latest digital technology available to small shopkeepers, a new report by industry leaders has found.

The Digital High Street Report 2020 found that local businesses and independent traders are missing a trick by not keeping up with the digitally savvy modern shopper and using more free and low cost digital technologies.

The independent report – initiated by government and the Future High Streets Forum – proposes the creation of a new high street ‘laboratory’ which would provide a one-stop-shop where small shopkeepers, businesses and communities can get advice on what they need to do to get digital.

A number of other recommendations have been made that could support town centres to be more thriving places people want to visit, work and shop in by the report’s author.

John Walden, chief executive of Home Retail Group, which owns Argos, and Future High Streets Forum member has made proposals that include:

• the first UK High Street Digital Health Index, an interactive benchmark to assess the digital health of towns and councils across key measures including infrastructure, basic digital skills, high street attraction and digital engagement
• plans for town centre infrastructure and connectivity for 2020 and beyond, including broadband, mobile and WiFi
• a High Street Digital Laboratory to provide ready to use digital tools, dedicated digital skills training, as well as a network of digital apprenticeships for every UK town centre
• a goal to eliminate the gap in basic digital skills by 2020 for individuals, small businesses and charities

High Streets Minister Penny Mordaunt welcomed the report and said the laboratory could be invaluable in continuing the reinvigoration of shopping streets and help small businesses make the most of their potential.

It has potential to help them expand their reach and drive people to the high street and help them compete with big businesses and is an idea worth looking at more closely.

Independent experts will now be appointed to advise on how the ‘Digital Laboratory’ and the ‘High Street Digital Health Index’ could give small traders the training, advice and skills they need to compete and to provide advice to communities on the infrastructure they need in place.

High Streets Minister Penny Mordaunt said: ‘High streets contribute billions of pounds to the economy and we know digital is the way forward so it is vitally important traders and town centres keep up with the way people shop if they are to continue to thrive.  The new digital laboratory is one idea that could ensure small businesses have the tools and skills they need to compete with the big players. We want to future proof our high streets so they can remain at the heart the community for decades to come.’

Minister for the Digital Economy, Ed Vaizey said: ‘I welcome the work of the Digital High Street Board and the leadership of John Walden in compiling this report. There is no doubting the importance of thriving high streets to the economic health of towns and villages throughout the UK. I am convinced technology can play a part in helping make high streets more relevant and accessible in today’s and future modern high streets.  This report is an important contribution to considering how best to ensure a bright future for the UK’s fast changing high streets.’

John Walden, Chief Executive of Home Retail Group, and Chairman of The Digital High Streets Advisory Board, said: ‘The digital revolution is arguably the most disruptive factor affecting our communities, but its effects are not often considered central to high street revitalisation. Many members of UK town centres are struggling to keep up with consumers in terms of their digital capabilities, and given the pace of digital growth many towns lack sufficient infrastructure and basic digital skills. I believe that the business-oriented Board has provided recommendations that, taken together, can restore our high streets to vibrancy in a digital future, into 2020 and beyond.’

Director of Google UK Peter Fitzgerald said: ‘Today, the vast majority of UK shoppers research online before they buy from a store. This means that every business is a digital business because every consumer is a digital consumer. We hope that this report will be a first step towards improving digital access and expertise among small businesses and help them grow faster and reach more customers.’

The government is committed to supporting high streets as part of its long-term economic plan and has provided local shops and businesses with a billion pound package of investment. It also backed the hugely popular Great British High Street competition that saw towns and villages across the UK battling it out for the coveted title of best high street.

A renewed focus on our high streets has led to a revival in many areas across the UK with latest figures showing that year-on-year average weekly retail sales increased by 4.8% in January.

This was the 23rd consecutive month of retail sales growth and the longest period of sustained year-on-year growth since May 2008. In addition, overall vacancy rates are now at their lowest level since 2010, and reoccupation rates for the high street are much higher, at 70%, than they are for shopping centres or retail parks.

A new online action pack is the latest in a line of government-backed initiatives to revive our high streets, including targeted business rate discounts, sensible planning changes and action that reins in over-zealous parking practices.

Read the report

Online action pack

UK Gov article

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has dismissed an appeal by Gladman Developments over a 94—home scheme proposed for a field in community use in open countryside on the edge of Faringdon in Oxfordshire refused by the Vale of the White Horse District Council.

Planning Portal writes:
The inspector who held the appeal, recovered because of its impact on the emerging Faringdon Neighbourhood Plan, had recommended the appeal should be allowed.

The appeal site was in open countryside across a prominent hillside which Pickles acknowledged was ‘a valued landscape’ and as such ought to be protected according to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

The Communities Secretary also gave ‘moderate weight’ to the harm the development would cause to the amenity value of the field, which he was satisfied was ‘a valued open community space’ and the subject of a separate application to the county council as a town green.

Unlike the inspector, Pickles gave ‘little weight’ to policies in the emerging neighbourhood plan that identified the site as ‘local green space’ and would restrict development outside the current town boundary because he noted the final detail of the plan was unresolved as an independent examiner had published a report after the appeal inquiry ended recommending those policies were deleted from the neighbourhood plan which was not yet the subject of a referendum.

Pickles agreed with the inspector that the lack of a demonstrable five-year supply of housing land in the district added ‘significant weight’ in favour of allowing the appeal and that the provision of 40 per cent affordable housing was ‘a significant benefit’.

However he dismissed the appeal after concluding that ‘the adverse impacts in regard to landscape and amenities, together, would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits when assessed against the policies in the NPPF taken as a whole’.

Access the decision letter

Search Planning Portal

English Heritage directly publishes a diverse range of paid and free publications used by heritage professionals, academics and interested members of the public.

These include Heritage Counts, Conservation Bulletin, Designation Yearbook, Heritage at Risk Register and guides to EH properties.

The survey asks for questions on these, and how in the future you would like access them (electronic download, paper copy, web page etc.), and how they can be improved.

English Heritage is using the survey to make decisions about the future direction of its publications.

Access the survey 

Ordnance Survey (OS) has launched a National Map Cover Photo competition, offering the chance to put your photo on their local area maps.

Ordnance Survey is looking to update the covers on more than 600 different OS maps, which are seen, bought and collected by millions of people nationwide. Winners will also get a year’s free subscription to its online map service and the best overall entry will win a family holiday in the UK.

Junior entrants have the chance to get their photo on one of the OS tour maps as well as the opportunity to win an Apple Ipad Mini for the overall best entry.

Once your photos have been entered into the competition, the public will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite.

For more information and to enter a photo, see the Ordnance Survey website

See the OS article on how OS maps can be used for urban exploration

For the OS see https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk

Search Planning Portal

The Planning Inspectorate has issued a replacement advice note 2 which sets out ‘the role of local authorities in the development consent process’.

The PINs note discourages local authorities carrying out their own consultation on forthcoming applications, so as not to confuse the consultees, and suggests developing Supplementary Planning Guidance for larger nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs).

The advice sets out when a second Statement of Community Consultation might be advisable.

Local authorities are warned that the pre-application and examination stages won’t be structured around their committee cycles and they will have to have appropriate schemes of delegation in place.

Search Planning Portal

Think-tank the Policy Exchange has published an economics manifesto for the forthcoming general election which has urged the introduction of a so-called ‘Presumption Against Interference’ so people would be free to do as they will with their property ‘except where clear justification or requirement for intervention exists’.

The document also argued that change of use restrictions should be limited while local plans should be ‘drastically stripped back’.

The think tank said this would mean ‘no density targets, or top down regulation of minutiae like car spaces, bike standards or the number of hotel rooms’.

Its ‘manifesto’ stated: ‘If less than half of the people in the immediate vicinity (numerically or in terms of floor space) object, planning permission should automatically be granted subject to appropriate compensation.’

Search Planning Portal

Arts Council England have released a new report which describes the economic impact of museums, featuring case studies from throughout England including Beamish (Living Museum of the North), Chatham historic dockyard (Kent, which includes Britain’s oldest intact naval building) and the Tank Museum (Dorset). 

Arts Council England writes:
Museums have a major impact to local and national economies. With continued support from Local Authorities, DCMS and other public and private funders, museums can play an ever more important role in our economy and communities. This report finds that the museums sector:

• generates £2.64 billion in income
• contributes £1.45 billion in economic output to the national economy
• employs a minimum of 38,165 people
• is made up of approximately 2,635 organisations running 2,720 sites across England

• is estimated to generate £3 of income (including earned income, income from investments, grants from charities and foundations, and donations etc.) for each £1 of public sector grant

Read the news release including information on recent museum funding awards and details of the case studies on the Arts Council website

Download the economic effects of museums report

IHBC newsblogs on museums

IHBC NewsBlogs on economic impacts of heritage

Planning minister Brandon Lewis has proposed new measures to speed up section 106 agreements including the creation of a dispute resolution service involving an external body or a ‘suitably qualified individual’.

The minister is consulting on plans to speed up the s106 process so applications can be decided more quickly and ensuring work starts sooner on site.

The proposals include:

• Setting clear time limits so section 106 negotiations are completed in line with the existing 8 to 13 week target for planning applications to be processed
• Requiring parties to start discussions at the beginning of the planning application process, rather than the current system where negotiations can often start towards the end
• A dispute resolution process where negotiations stall preventing development
• Using standardised documents to avoid agreements being drafted from scratch for each and every application
• Potential legislation in the next Parliament to give the new measures teeth

Lewis said: ‘Section 106 planning agreements can bring great benefits to local communities but too often they drag out planning applications for months.’

In terms of dispute resolution the Government is interested in views on an automatic or ‘deemed’ regime as well as one involving a service with charges, one which is not part of the conventional appeals system.

Also under discussion is whether the requirement to provide affordable housing contributions acts as a barrier to development providing dedicated student accommodation. 

See the consultation

Search Planning Portal

Placemaking and built environment policy are to be explored in a House of Lords select committee after the general election as a bid for the new, cross-party select committee was submitted by Baroness Janet Whittaker, the vice-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Design and Innovation Group, and Baroness Kay Andrews, following discussions with the team that produced last year’s Farrell Review.

Horticulture Week writes:
The review called for more interconnectivity between Government departments, institutions, agencies and professions that shape the built environment and an integral role for landscape.

Chairman of the Farrell Review, Sir Terry Farrell said: ‘I wholeheartedly welcome the creation of a Select Committee for the Built Environment and am enormously grateful to Baroness Janet Whitaker for all she has done to secure it.

‘The stewardship, long-term planning and identity of real places should be a fundamental part of built environment policy. This Select Committee will be a powerful new voice in that debate and we look forward to hearing more detail about its remit in due course.’

The bid followed a proposal by Lord Hunt of Chesterton in a House of Lords debate on the Farrell Review last year, where he pointed out that there had never been a select committee on the subject.

He added: ‘It would be the only way to have a genuine cross-cutting move.’

Farrell Review background

Search Planning Portal

Hortweek article

Crucial repairs to safeguard the future of one of England’s busiest junctions have been extended.

The Highways Agency writes:
The Highways Agency is currently replacing vital waterproofing at The Gravelly Hill Interchange in Birmingham, known the world over as Spaghetti Junction.

Engineers have found clusters of damage around loadbearing supports and joints – the location of which will make the necessary repairs very challenging. In some areas, water has breached the old waterproofing, damaged the concrete deck and corroded the internal steel reinforcement.

We expected to carry out concrete repairs as part of this work,’ explained project manager Jess Kenny.

But we were also aware that we wouldn’t know the full extent of what needed doing until we began the work and were able to remove areas of the road surface.

Unfortunately, we’ve now discovered that the location of the damage is such that the repairs will be more extensive and take longer than at first thought, so the work won’t be completed until next year.

Spaghetti Junction is now more than 40-years-old, and carries the weight of 200,000 vehicles every day.

Waterproofing is a vital component of any concrete infrastructure – it is needed to help protect the steel support beams which run throughout the concrete.

As part of the re-waterproofing project, it was estimated around 2.5% of the concrete carriageways of Spaghetti Junction would need repairs. This has turned out to be the case, but the problem now isn’t the scale of the damage – it’s the location. Engineers will have to tackle the repairs in small sections, as the integrity of the bridge structure would be compromised if large areas of concrete are removed.

Not only will engineers have to work in short phases, but the concrete itself will need time to cure once its put in place.

‘We’d love to be able to pull up all the surfacing and complete this work in one go: but that would seriously weaken the integrity of the bridge deck and cause a real threat that the structural stability of the bridge will be compromised,’ Jess Kenny explained.  ‘We’ve had to perform a lot of calculations to accurately work out how we can perform these repairs.  The outcome is that we need several small phases of work – but this will also extend the time we need to work on Spaghetti Junction.’

The extent of the required repairs mean the team now expects its work to last until spring 2016.

UK Gov news 

Garden cities are not the answer to the country’s housing shortage and existing cities should be developed more densely, the think-tank The Future Spaces Foundation has suggested as it estimates that an additional 67 garden cities would need to be built in London and the Southeast alone over the next 25 years to address current housing shortage, while developing brown field sites could meet demands for at least the next eight years.

Future Spaces Foundation writes:
Plans to build 250,000 homes in Garden Cities would deliver just a third of unmet demand for housing over the next five years, leaving a shortfall of around 500,000 homes between now and 2020, according to a new report from the Future Spaces Foundation (FSF).

In its second report, Vital Cities not Garden Cities: the answer to the nation’s housing shortage?, the FSF critically examines the Government’s policy of building new Garden Cities in response to the current housing crisis, suggesting instead that the focus should be on densifying existing settlements.

The report found that if all the new homes that are required were to be built in Garden Cities, 67 of these type of settlements, each with a population of 30,000, would be required in order to meet the projected shortage of one million homes in London and the Home Counties over the next 25 years. Moreover, if used as the sole solution to the current housing shortage, Garden Cities would require 675km² of land (an area bigger than urban Manchester), the equivalent of 6.8% of the unprotected and unbuilt land within a 50 mile radius of London. As an indicator of how inefficient this low-density model is, in contrast, if these one million homes were built at the relatively average gross density of a typical major town in the region such as Brighton & Hove (3,320 homes per km²) just 301 km² of unprotected and unbuilt land would be required.

Download the report

Future Spaces Foundation website

Three-quarters of construction employers think the industry is still perceived as sexist, according to a new, large-scale poll published on International Women’s Day by CITB.

The survey of 1500 employers from across the country revealed that 73% believe perceptions of a sexist culture are a major reason women are under-represented in the industry.

Although the number of women is slowly increasing, construction remains one of the most male-dominated industries in the UK, with men making up 85.5% of the total workforce, including 98% of all manual workers.

Other stats from the CITB poll include:

• Four out of five (78%) think a lack of female role models in the industry is a reason for few women in the industry
• Six out of 10 (60%) believe lack of awareness about the range of roles available to women was a further reason for low female representation
• Over three-quarters (76%) believe increased career promotion in schools would help improve opportunities for women
• Seven out of ten (69%) think better flexible working arrangements would boost opportunities for women.

Gillian Econopouly, Head of Research at CITB, said: ’The industry is on course for a major comeback, but we need a dynamic and diverse workforce to help deliver it. This poll shows that construction employers realise we are still a long way from overcoming the perceptions of sexism in our sector, which potentially keep women away. However, it is reassuring that firms are thinking critically about how to make construction more inclusive.

‘To attract the best skills and talent from all parts of society, we are challenging industry to make women and people from all backgrounds feel welcome and valued. One excellent way to do that is through the Be Fair Framework, which promotes the fair, inclusive and respectful industry we all want to see.’

CITB has developed the ‘Be Fair framework’ designed to create a fair, inclusive and respectful industry and bring an end to outdated cultures and practices. CITB encourages all construction firms to sign up to Be Fair, and offers a range of practical guidance and support to help firms make their workplaces more inclusive. This could mean helping them improve recruitment policies, and making workplaces more welcoming to women and other under-represented groups.

Maria Pilfold, CITB Board Member and former Group HR Director of Taylor Wimpey, said:’When I joined the construction industry 20 years ago I was told by one worker that I should not be allowed on site as I was a woman. We have moved a long way from that, but there is still much to do to fully address perceptions of sexism.

‘We need more female role models in the industry, and better career promotion in schools. Women need to know about the range of creative, flexible jobs available, with the opportunity to positively impact on the environment, travel and earn attractive salaries.

‘Our industry needs more women in it, but we have to shout about what a great career construction is – for people of all backgrounds.’

For the Be Fair framework see CITB and CITB news 

Protesters have won a High Court battle to stop a wind turbine being erected in a Northamptonshire village as Deputy Judge John Howell QC ruled the project earmarked for Poplars Farm in Wappenham should be blocked because the contribution it would make to fighting climate change did not outweigh the damage it would do to the landscape and the setting of nearby listed buildings.

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BAILII website

The independent panel set up to advise the Welsh Government on designated landscapes – National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) – has come down firmly against a single designation, though it has recommended that AONBs should be renamed as National Landscapes of Wales.

Carl Sargeant Minister for Natural Resources in the Welsh government, writes:
On 25 September 2014 I announced an independent review into the purpose and governance of the designated landscapes in Wales, the three National Parks and five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This two stage review would firstly examine the designations themselves looking at their purposes and the merits of classifying Wales’ designated landscapes under one type of designation, before then considering the associated governance arrangements.

When I launched this Review I set out my own commitment to the National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. These areas are highly valued. They are integral to Wales’ national identity and are recognised internationally as part of a global family of protected areas. I am proud that a quarter of Wales is recognised in this way. They are assets that we should celebrate and protect, but also continue to harness to tackle the environmental and economic challenges that we face. They have a valuable contribution to make to the green growth and natural resource management agenda.

I want to see our designated landscapes become international exemplars of sustainability. They should be living landscapes with vibrant, resilient communities, with extensive outdoor recreation opportunities, thriving ecosystems and rich biodiversity. With the right leadership they have the potential to be areas where new innovative solutions to the challenges of sustainability in fragile rural areas are tried and tested, understood and publicised.

The purpose of the Review is to gather and analyse evidence in support of a comprehensive set of recommendations which should ensure that our designated landscapes are best equipped to realise their ambition, while building upon their internationally recognised status and brand.

As we move forward in Wales to develop our own ways of delivering public services associated with planning, regulating land use and managing our natural resources, it’s vital that the National Parks and AONBs are not left behind. Reform will be necessary to ensure that these areas prosper through their continued protection while maximizing the benefits they provide to the people of wales.

So far the Review has considered whether the purpose and identity of the designated landscapes should be changed. Between late September and late November 2014 the Panel involved a wide range of designated landscape interests including constituent local authorities, community councils and the WLGA; the farming unions; the Federation of Small Businesses and Wales Tourism Alliance; The Welsh Language Commissioner; Natural Resources Wales and RTPI Cymru.  Eight workshops (geographically within or near each designated area) were held with members of the public.  Finally, meetings were held with officials from the Welsh Government and the Sustainable Futures Commissioner, Peter Davies.

The Panel has made six recommendations which are a modest package of amendments to the designations, see Annex 1. I expect that as the Panel expands its evidence base it will need to reflect on and amend these initial recommendations.

The report of Stage one will now provide the basis for proceeding to Stage two of the review as set out in the original terms of reference. This includes:

i. Review the governance and management arrangements of the designated landscapes;
ii. Review and examine how any governing body/bodies would best promote collaboration and joint working while avoiding duplication; and
iii. Review and examine the best way for any future governing body to reinforce local accountability and decision making.

Both designations currently have different governance arrangements.

The Environment Act 1995 led to the creation of independent National Park Authorities for each of the National Parks in Wales. Each Park is governed by a board comprising two thirds local councillors appointed by constituent local authorities, and one third appointed by The Welsh Ministers.  Their approved revenue expenditure is set each year by The Welsh Ministers, and the authorities levy their constituent authorities for the balance of their operational budget.  National Park Authorities are the planning authorities for their areas.

Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are overseen by a Joint Advisory Committee (JAC), with any services embedded within constituent local authorities. There is no central funding. The JAC is a statutory consultee on planning applications for the area.

I look forward to the second phase of the review, and to working with the Parks and AONBs to develop their ambition and to secure for them a future which builds on the special nature of these areas. I will respond to the Panel’s recommendations when the review is completed.

The Panel’s first stage report is available online.

The final report will be available in July.

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UK Gov Wales Cabinet Statements

The Northern Ireland (NI) Environment Committee inquiry into wind energy has recommended that the Institute of Acoustics conditions adopted elsewhere in the UK are also adopted in Northern Ireland, potentially extend the neighbour notification radius and that community engagement toolkits should become mandatory. 

View the full report

Listen to the interview with Committee Chairperson, Anna Lo on Soundcloud

NIA Environment Committee main website

IHBC newsblogs on turbines

The Royal Town Planning institute (RTPI) has published ten key proposals for Planning in the next Parliament in advance of the UK general election.

The RTPI writes:
These have been selected from an extensive policy and research work programme conducted by the Institute over the past 18 months.  Overall, the programme produced a number of policy papers and the Planning Horizons series, which recommended policy solutions and thought leadership on a range of pressing challenges for both planning and the conditions in which planning operates.

Janet Askew, President of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), pictured below, left, in discussion with Labour’s Shadow Planning Minister, Roberta Blackman-Woods MP,  said: ‘Our ten proposals include a call on the next Government to deliver a stable and properly resourced planning system, commit to ending the housing crisis within a generation, and to reward local authorities which plan together with financial incentives. We have been clear about where the existing issues are and what can be done to address them’.

‘We hope that planners will use this document to engage with local parliamentary candidates to argue the case for planning, solutions for which can be carried forward into the next parliament, irrespective of the outcome of the election.’

Our ten proposals recommend that the next government:

• Stabilise the planning system to deliver housing, jobs and community wellbeing in a sustainable way
• Invest in local planning for a growing and sustainable economy
• Plan to solve the housing crisis within a generation
• Reward local authorities that plan together
• Coordinate policy by focusing on places
• Provide ‘one-stop-shops’ for individuals and small businesses
• Use land held by the public sector for new housing development
• Let the public know who owns land
• Fund more transport infrastructure by measuring its real benefits
• Improve government policy by evaluating its impact

Download ‘Planning in the next Parliament’

RTPI news

An election briefing paper on local authority expenditure produced by the independent Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) has highlighted that some of the council service areas which have seen the largest cuts to net spending over the last five years have been the poorest, while some of the service areas with the largest cuts included planning and development, which have been cut to less than half their original level.

IFS writes:
The spending power of local authorities in England has been cut substantially during this parliament. We find that local authorities’ spending per person has been cut by 23.4% in real terms between 2009–10 and 2014–15, using a comparable definition of net spending on services over time by single-tier and county councils.

However, the size of cuts varied markedly across the country – Westminster saw a cut of 46.3%, while North East Lincolnshire experienced a cut of 6.2%. On the whole, more deprived areas and those that saw faster population growth have seen larger cuts.

Further cuts planned for 2015–16 will generally be focused on the same local authorities that have lost over the last five years. For example, London boroughs face cuts of 6.3% on average next year compared with 1.9% cuts faced by shire counties. Without a change in policy, any further cuts over the next parliament are also likely to affect the same places again.

These are some of the main findings of an ‘Election Briefing Note’ published today by researchers from the Institute for Fiscal Studies with funding from the Nuffield Foundation.

The report looks at how local authorities’ spending and different sources of revenue have changed across England and how these cuts to funding have translated into changes in spending on different service areas, such as social care, transport, housing, and environmental services.

Cuts to local authority spending have been large. They were driven by large cuts to local authority revenues, particularly grants from central government. In particular, we find that:

• Spending by local authorities in England has been cut between 2009–10 and 2014–15 by 20.4% after accounting for economy-wide inflation. Taking into account population growth, spending per person has been cut by 23.4%.
• These cuts are similar in magnitude to those seen on average across central government departments outside protected areas such as the NHS, schools and overseas aid.
• Grants from central government (excluding those specifically for education, public health, police and fire services) have been cut by 36.3% overall (and by 38.7% per person) in real terms. Total council tax revenues have grown slightly in real terms over this period (3.2%) but this still represents a decline of 0.7% per person.
• Taking grants and council tax revenues together, local authorities’ total revenues have fallen by 19.9% overall (or 22.9% per person) in real terms. But the overall cut to spending was actually slightly larger than this because, on average, local authorities have added to their reserves over this period.

The cuts to local authority spending have also varied in size across different areas of England, with the cuts largest in areas more reliant on grants and with higher initial levels of spending.

• Cuts to net service spending have tended to be larger in those areas that were initially more reliant on central government grants to fund spending (as opposed to locally-raised revenues). These are areas that have, historically, been deemed to have a high level of spending need relative to their local revenue-raising capacity. The cuts to spending per person were also higher on average in areas that saw faster population growth.
• London boroughs, the North East and the North West have seen the largest average cuts to spending per person. London boroughs cut spending per person on average by 31.4%, while spending per person was cut by 26.5% in the North East and 25.7% in the North West.
• Since these regions initially had the highest level of spending per person, there has been some convergence in the average level of local authority spending per person across regions over the last five years. In 2009–10, spending per person in London was on average 80.1% higher than that in the South East; by 2014–15 – with London having seen spending cuts that were nearly twice as deep as those seen in the South East – this differential had fallen to 48.0%.

Local authorities have not cut all service areas equally. Despite it being the largest component, social care (including adult social care and children’s and families’ services) has seen one of the smallest cuts to date.

• Despite this relative protection, net spending per capita on social care was cut by 16.7% in real terms between 2009–10 and 2014–15.
• Some of the service areas that saw the largest cuts to net spending were planning and development (which was cut to less than half its original level), regulation and safety, housing, and transport (all of which were cut by at least 30%). There was variation across the country, however, in which services different local authorities chose to focus the cuts on.

There are likely to be further cuts to local government spending power beyond the election and there are a number of reasons to believe that these may be concentrated on many of the same authorities that have already seen the largest cuts. In particular, those areas with the lowest local revenue-raising power will continue to be the most exposed to cuts in central government funding, while those with higher population growth will find it harder to maintain levels of spending per person.

David Innes, a Research Economist at IFS and one of the authors of the report, commented:  ‘English councils – like many government departments in Whitehall – have experienced sharp cuts to their spending power over the last five years. But the size of the cuts has varied a lot across England. On the whole, it is more deprived areas, those with lower local revenue-raising capacity, and those that have seen the fastest population growth that have seen the largest cuts to spending per person. Further cuts are likely to come in the next parliament and they could well be focused on many of the same local authorities if the current mechanism for allocating funds is retained.’

See the Election Briefing note

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