25 Sep 2007 - Our response to the Government's white paper.
As the national centre for delivering the skills and knowledge needed to make better places, our work is at the heart of the Government's agenda in planning for a sustainable future. We welcome the Government's initiative to maintain the momentum of reform within the planning system started with the 2004 Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act. It supports the objects of the white paper namely to simplify and make more coherent the current system, and thereby make it more efficient and effective. The following is a summary of our response.
25 Sep 2007 - Our response to the Government's white paper.
As the national centre for delivering the skills and knowledge needed to make better places, our work is at the heart of the Government's agenda in planning for a sustainable future. We welcome the Government's initiative to maintain the momentum of reform within the planning system started with the 2004 Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act. It supports the objects of the white paper namely to simplify and make more coherent the current system, and thereby make it more efficient and effective. The following is a summary of our response.
White Paper Proposals
The white paper addresses two central issues - the problems encountered in delivering key national infrastructure and the need to improve the performance of the planning system. The Government proposes:
to clarify policy through national policy statements;
to separate policy making from decision taking by creating an independent commission to take decisions on nationally significant infrastructure cases; and
to improve consultation by early consultation with public bodies, by introducing a specific "open floor" stage at Inquiries for members of the public, and additional funding to bodies such as Planning Aid.
To improve the town and country planning system, the Government proposes:
a clearer framework of national planning policy;
to meet the challenge of climate change and deliver sustainable economic growth;
to place planning at the heart of local government, including issuing ‘place shaping' guidance;
to streamline the local development framework process;
to introduce Planning Performance Agreements to streamline the processing of major applications, and better resource the planning service; and
to streamline the planning application process by reducing the number of applications, and improving the appeals process.
A National Skills and Recruitment Framework for Planning
The White Paper recognises that one of the Government's achievements has been in increasing capacity of planners. Although we welcome this progress, there is still a need to encourage more people into planning in order to address the growing shortage of qualified staff. This has been identified by our study launched in September 2007 which revealed the following within the planning sector:
a significant widening in the skills gap;
the need to improve generic skills of current planners especially those of financial appraisal, leadership and communication; and
a need to tackle deficiencies in technical skills with particular gaps in development control.
We believe that the successful implementation of the proposals contained in the White Paper depends very much on the development of an integrated National Skills and Recruitment Framework for Planning. This framework should be based on the following five elements:
enhancing continuing professional development (CPD) to encompass cross-occupational learning between planners and other professionals;
tackling deficiencies in technical skills;
encouraging planners to develop a broad range of generic skills such as visioning, communication, project and process management, leadership and partnering;
developing a comprehensive package of compulsory training for local authority members involved with planning - so that they are able to be more strategic and farsighted in spatial planning; and
Encouraging a greater number and a more diverse group of people to enter the planning profession, especially from black and ethnic minority groups.
We recommend that the Government gives explicit recognition to the need for such a Framework, and actively supports its development. Detailed delivery of the Framework should be developed in conjunction with the major players within planning, including the Royal Town Planning Institute (RPTI) and the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA).
Conclusions
We welcome the initiative by the Government, as set out in the White Paper, to continue to seek ways to improve the planning system, and to tackle the problems associated with major infrastructure projects. The success of all these initiatives will depend not only on getting the details of the proposals right in legislative terms, but also on having enough people in place with appropriate skills and knowledge. A major impetus would be provided by developing a delivering a National Skills and Recruitment Framework for Planning.
