The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has acknowledged the government’s efforts to boost housing supply through new planning reforms, but cautioned that local leadership and oversight must not be left behind.
The proposed reforms, announced today, include plans to ease planning rules for smaller developers across England, covering land, regulation and finance.
Robbie Calvert, RTPI’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs, said: “The Government’s proposed reforms have the potential to unlock thousands of homes on smaller sites and energise a part of the sector that plays a vital role in local economies.
“However, we must be clear, we can only support the proposed delegation reforms if they are accompanied by the establishment of a Chief Planning Officer in every planning authority. These reforms propose a significant change to how our system works, and without strong, accountable leadership and oversight, risk undermining the integrity of the planning process.
“The decision to exempt small sites from Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements is a sensible approach given the severe lack of resourcing and ecological skills available to local authorities. However, we expect the government to develop long-term solutions to ensure nature is protected and enhanced by the planning system without starving the country of the economic growth it needs.”
The RTPI will continue to consult its members on these and other planning reforms announced by the government.
