RTPI puts budget case to Chancellor

The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), which represents 23,000 planners worldwide and is the largest membership organisation of planners in Europe, pressed the Government for a package of growth-promoting measures in its 2013 Budget submission.

The four key RTPI recommendations are: a joined-up approach to departmental-led growth initiatives, greater policy certainty from government, localised fee setting, and Treasury support for the Map for England project.

Dr Peter Geraghty, President of the RTPI, said: "Planning produces better outcomes. Our budget submission makes the case for a package of growth-promoting proposals.

We are encouraging the Chancellor to put the weight of the Treasury behind the Map for England which would facilitate locally-based growth.

Greater certainty is needed and the government can provide this by continuing to work up National Policy Statements, and issuing guidance on a small range of issues including viability.

Government can do more to make sure that its policy initiatives complement each other. Joined-up government is always a good idea, but it is even more important and perhaps even more possible in today's interconnected world.

Finally, we encourage the government to continue to support public services to enable them to adopt a pro-growth sustainable planning strategy by ensuring planning fees are set at levels that would support planning services."

• The RTPI's 2013 budget submission can be read here.

In a separate but connected initiative, the RTPI as part of a coalition of some of the most influential organisations in the housing and property construction sector, including London Councils and the British Property Federation, has called for rules stopping councils undertaking measured borrowing to be lifted.

The letter can be read here http://tinyurl.com/cw7uzgk (£)

The organisations who have signed are:

• London Councils - Sir Steve Bullock, Executive Member for Housing
• British Property Federation - Liz Peace, Chief Executive
• Chartered Institute of Housing  - Grainia Long, Chief Executive
• Home Builders Federation - John Slaughter, Director of External Affairs
• Local Government Association - Cllr Mike Jones, Chair of Environment and Housing Board
• London First - John Dickie, Director of Strategy and Policy
• Federation of Master Builders - Brian Berry, Chief Executive and Construction4Growth Campaign Spokesperson
• National Federation of ALMOs - Sue Roberts MBE, Chair
• National Housing Federation - David Orr, Chief Executive
• New Local Government Network - Dr Jane Roberts, Chair
• Royal Town Planning Institute - Trudi Elliott CBE, Chief Executive
• Shelter - Campbell Robb, Chief Executive
• The Association Of Retained Council Housing - Cllr Paul Ellis, Chair