Richard was included in a round-up of ten people who were influential in planning world during 2011:

 

“RTPI president Richard Summers – The RTPI may not always be known for being outspoken against government policies but this year’s present Richard Summers has been an, at times, outspoken critic of the government’s planning reforms. Following the Budget in March, Summers slammed government proposals to ensure that the default answer to development is ‘yes’. In a statement Summers said: “If sweeping changes announced to the planning system result in the default position being ‘yes’ to development then there is real danger that within a decade we will end up with an England of tin sheds, Lego land housing and US-style shopping malls. “Where will the incentive be in the future for developers to address issues such as climate change, environmental protection, design quality and affordable housing, if they know that the Government has tied the hands of local councillors who will be required to nod through most development projects? This could mean developers building what they like, where they like, and when they like. It’s a policy that finally buries localism.” Later in the year Summers launched a campaign to “dispel planning myths” in response to what the RTPI described as “a great deal of recent misinformation and misunderstanding about planning”. Days later the government launched its own ‘myth busting’ document to tackle criticism of the NPPF.”