Robbie Calvert is the RTPI's Head of Policy and Public Affairs
Assuming most of the readership works in planning, or the wider built environment, we have all no doubt frequently rehearsed that classic conversation starter of “…so what do you do for a living?” It’s a question that I have come to relish over time, not because I am extremely proud of the work of planners and the importance of the planning system (which I am) but because it feeds into my long running amateur social experiment, where I try to understand what the general public thinks of planning.
Over the past few years, planning systems across the UK have been thrust into the political and media spotlight. And rightfully so, having been tasked with the daunting mission of delivering much desired economic growth, solving the housing crisis, protecting and enhancing nature whilst managing our societal transition to net zero. Even this morning on the radio I heard multiple references to the planning, from Permitted Development Rights for air source heat pumps to designated key reservoir projects as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects. The RTPI, too, contributed to the conversation, with a quote from me in The Times and The i and Dr Victoria Hills in The Telegraph.
Given this recent attention and the ever-changing ebbs and flows of public opinion in an increasingly dynamic world, has there ever been a better time to try and ascertain what the key trends in public opinion relating to planning and development are? And more importantly, is anyone doing research slightly more robust than my years of idle chit chat?
Thankfully yes, and a lot of survey data has been published recently on the matter, including the Planner Magazine’s Annual Career Survey, research from Demos supported by the RTPI on the MIMBY Majority and work this week from Ipsos.
A general theme flowing from these pieces of work is that the public are potentially less anti-development than generally perceived. Is this a green light for local politicians to support development and the makings of a developer’s charter? Not quite. First, variations were found regionally across the country, over time periods, and in different demographics. But there was also a number of rather interesting caveats to this more pro-development public sentiment. Indeed, the Demos work identified that the majority of the population – 67% – are ‘MIMBYs’, people who say ‘maybe’ to development in their local area, depending on the scenario. While the Ipsos work found a strong support for environmental protection and local participation. Alas, the ever-thorny balancing act of providing the development needs of society across a vast range of public and political opinions remains in place.
But has the recent flurry of media articles and the central positioning of the planning system in achieving the Government’s growth agenda put planning at the fore of the minds of the British public? not quite, unfortunately.
The Demos work found that over half of the respondents didn’t know how to take part in consultations about developments in their local area. This was supported by findings from the Planner’s career survey, where six in ten believed the public neither knows when nor how to engage with the planning process. Fewer than 14% of planners believe the public understands the purpose of planning, which is why we are championing the inclusion of a purpose of planning in our work towards the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
We certainly don’t make it easy, given the ever-shifting nature of planning and almost continual reform. How do we communicate effectively such amorphous, complex and technical matters to the general public in a useful and meaningful way? And do we really put enough thought into how we plan to engage the public when new elements of the planning system are proposed? I think the Demos work neatly highlights this with some really interesting and innovative discussions around how to engage communities with the emerging strategic tier of planning in England, identifying forums such as citizens assemblies as possible means to do this.
I personally would like to see less in the media about ‘planning rules’ and more about planning for collective societal aspiration and vision. I think there’s a bit of work to be done here and that’s something we strongly recognise in the Institute. I eagerly await the roll-out of our president, Helen Fadipe’s, upcoming public awareness campaign over the coming year.
