PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JULY 2006

 

PLANNING EXPERTS CALL FOR AN END TO LOFT CONVERSION CONVEYOR BELT

 

Planners are too risk-averse and process oriented, leaving too little room for positive, proactive planning, a new report by the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has shown.

 

Following a series of three roundtable discussions with top planning experts TCPA and PwC compiled the new report ‘Permission to Plan’ published today. The report outlines key issues raised by participants.

 

Rather than creating sustainable communities, too much time and energy is spent on processing applications for small developments such as extensions and loft conversions, delegates said.

 

Experts called for the so-called ‘loft conversion conveyor belt’ to grind to a halt in favour of a standardised approach. This would make life simpler for householders currently struggling to negotiate the long and complex process.

 

Welcoming the findings, TCPA Director Gideon Amos said:

“Planners don’t spend years at university to trawl through applications for loft conversions. The profession needs to regain the confidence to shape the big picture.

 

“Some creative, ambitious planners are already tackling some of most high profile and pressing issues we face today including energy, climate change, and affordable housing. But in order to attract more graduates to the profession, and realise the potential of planning to secure a sustainable future, more time, resources and effort are needed.”

 

Alex Khaldi, director at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP added:

"Permission to Plan is challenging the planning system to focus on what really matters.  Bold steps are needed to manage routine casework differently - casework which is clogging up the system and making planning a less attractive graduate career. 

 

“The best in the system are already moving in this direction, but the movement is far too slow. New, more cost effective ways to process applications are needed, backed up with incentives to force the pace of change."

 

Planning should be less about minimising harm and controlling development, and more about maximising benefit for the long term through, for example, more aligned investment in public services, stakeholders said.

 

Planning authorities have few financial incentives to support inward investment or business growth, which works against dynamic leadership, experts said.

 

Gideon Amos said:

“Planning contributes at least £2 billion per year to the public purse, including funding up to one-third of annual affordable housing provision.

 

“However new ways are needed to capture a reasonable share of the uplift in land values resulting from planning to ensure communities benefit directly from new development. The Milton Keynes style ‘roof tariff’ for example is ripe for development.”

 

Arbitrary performance targets also came under fire in the report, accused of reducing capacity for ‘place making’. More resources and effort needs to be devoted to improving the skills base and outreach of local planning authorities if planning is to undergo a renaissance, the report said.

 

NOTES TO EDITORS

1.       The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) is an independent charity working to improve the art and science of town and country planning. The TCPA puts social justice and the environment at the heart of policy debate and inspires government, industry and campaigners to take a fresh perspective on major issues, including planning policy, housing, regeneration and climate change. Join the TCPA at www.tcpa.org.uk  Our objectives are to:

 

·         Secure a decent, well designed home for everyone, in a human-scale environment combining the best features of town and country  

·         Empower people and communities to influence decisions that affect them 

·         Improve the planning system in accordance with the principles of sustainable development

 

2.       The member firms of the PricewaterhouseCoopers network provide   industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to build public   trust and enhance value for its clients and their stakeholders. More than  130,000 people in 148 countries across our network work collaboratively  using Connected Thinking to develop fresh perspectives and practical  advice.  Unless otherwise indicated, "PricewaterhouseCoopers" refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (www.pwc.com/uk ) a limited liability  partnership incorporated in England. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is a  member firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited.

 

3.       The General Permitted Development Order (GPDO) accords ‘permitted development’ status to a wide range of relatively minor work which, though technically ‘development’, means a separate planning consent for them is not required. The effect of the GPDO is to absolve a very large number of minor householder improvements from the regulatory system. But much still remains. In 2004-2005 planning authorities received 340,000 planning applications for householder developments. This number has more than doubled in the past ten years so that while householder developments constituted just 37% of all planning applications in 1994-95 they now make up 53% of the average planning authority’s total caseload. Some 87% of householder applications are granted.

 

4.       The Department for Communities and Local Government report  ‘Householder Development Consents Review’ is available here: http://www.communities.gov.uk/pub/261/HouseholderDevelopmentConsentReviewSteeringGroupReport_id1501261.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box: Key Recommendations • Refocus resources on strengthening planning for place-making, with greater emphasis on integrating planning with local service delivery and investment in infrastructure • Narrow the scope of minor development that is controlled by planning regulation (as set out in General Permitted Development Order) and instead develop Building Regulations (or another system) to provide the necessary minimum standards for such development – thereby freeing up capacity for major development schemes and community planning • Develop alternative more cost-effective delivery systems, including expansion of e-planning, shared services/professions, pre-application regimes and out-sourcing • Review planning targets and incentives to make the system more outcome based and customer-friendly • Align planning objectives more closely with related public service targets, new policy targets (such as Community Strategies and CO2 reduction targets) and building regulations • Improve compatibility between Development Plans (Regional Spatial Strategies and Local Development Documents) and Regional Economic Strategies • Continue to invest in improving local capacity, with greater focus on improving professional, Councillor and stakeholder skills and engage more with other professions • Raise public awareness of proactive planning and improve the status of the profession • Help planning authorities use planning gain more effectively and promote innovative infrastructure funding schemes such as the Milton Keynes ‘roof tariff’