Planning Green Paper - Planning:
Delivering a Fundamental Change
Chapter 1: The planning system
we need: our objectives for planning
From http://www.planning.dtlr.gov.uk/consult/greenpap/01.htm
1.1 This Green Paper is about delivering fundamental change
to the planning system (see endnote 1).
1.2 England is one of the most crowded countries in the world.
Only 8% of the land surface is urbanised, but over 90% of our
population lives in urban areas. We need good planning to deliver
development that is sustainable and which creates better places
in which people can live and work.
1.3 A proper planning system is vital to our quality of life.
People can be dramatically affected by the quality of their
environment and they care deeply about new development and how
it changes the surroundings in which they live and work. That
is why we need a planning system that fully engages people in
shaping the future of their communities and local economies.
And that is why we need to use the planning system to set out
a positive vision for the future development of our communities:
seeing planning as a positive tool rather than merely a negative
brake on development.
1.4 A successful planning system will promote economic prosperity
by delivering land for development in the right place and at
the right time. It will encourage urban regeneration by ensuring
that new development is channelled towards existing town centres
rather than adding to urban sprawl. It will help to conserve
greenfield land and re-use urban brownfield land. It will value
the countryside and our heritage while recognising that times
move on. It has a critical part to play in achieving the Government's
commitment to sustainable development.
1.5 To be successful, the planning system needs to have the
confidence of many different groups. These include almost half
a million direct customers who are applicants for planning permission
every year and who want a quick, predictable and efficient service;
families and individuals affected by plans and planning applications;
and the wider community who care about proposals for the future
development of their area. All parts of the community - individuals,
organisations and businesses - must be able to make their voice
heard.
1.6 The customers of planning departments have a right to an
efficient and user-friendly service. Business in particular,
needs to know that their planning applications will be dealt
with efficiently and predictably. Time delays caused by bureaucracy,
lack of skilled staff or overcomplex systems are bad for business
and do little good for anyone else. Delays in receiving a planning
decision can mean loss of competitiveness for business, something
that we simply cannot afford in the modern global economy.
1.7 Whilst some 90% of planning applications are eventually
approved, we need to address the flaws and inefficiencies in
the system that frustrate business and others seeking to develop
land. Development for business, housing, services and infrastructure
are all vital to the health of our economy. We need the planning
system to ensure that it is delivered in a way that is sympathetic
to our environment and that benefits the whole community. But
we do need good development: planning must be about accommodating
change not just resisting and stifling it.
1.8 We believe in good planning. The present system, by general
consent, does not deliver our objectives. We want a system that
is capable of reaching decisions that command public confidence
and which is seen to be open and fair. A system that underpins
our desire to improve productivity by being capable of reaching
a proper balance between our desire for economic development
and for thriving communities. A system that is clear and comprehensible,
that comes to robust decisions in sensible time frames. The
proposals in this consultation document are intended to help
us produce such a system. It is time for fundamental change.