Consideration of House of Lords amendments to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
This is a briefing for MPs ahead of debates considering amendments made by the House of Lords to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.
Overview
At the Royal Town Planning Institute (the RTPI), we champion the value of planning in building thriving places and communities. With over 27,000 members across public and private sectors, we empower planners to deliver positive impact: creating healthy, inclusive, economically and environmentally sustainable places. As the voice of the profession, we advocate, support, and lead with purpose, professionalism, and passion.
The RTPI supports the Government’s devolution agenda, in particular the recognition of the role strategic planning will play in supporting the devolution of planning powers to strategic authority mayors. Effective scrutiny of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will be critical to its impact and effectiveness in ushering in a new era of regional empowerment, growth and identity.
As the House of Commons considers amendments made by the House of Lords, we urge MPs to support the below change made by Peers in the House of Lords regarding rural representation within the Bill. We have also written to the Minister to express our support for this change.
Rural affairs added as an area of competence in Clause 2
The RTPI firmly supports the inclusion of ‘rural affairs’ as an area of competence in Clause 2 of the Bill. During the passage of the Bill we have been continuously advocating for rural community recognition within the devolution agenda. Adding rural affairs as an area of competence for strategic authorities will help to ensure that strategic authorities and their mayors have regard to the unique needs of rural communities when carrying out their functions.
Rural communities play a vital role in the prosperity of this country, with predominantly rural areas of England contributing approximately 16.2% of total gross value added to the England economy in 2022. Rural areas also make up a large proportion of England, with 85% of the country’s land area being classified as rural and 17% of the country’s population living in rural areas.
It is essential that this programme of devolution is designed to include and bring prosperity to all communities, and with that intention the Bill needs to consider the unique and specific needs and opportunities of rural communities. For rural communities to thrive through devolution, they need to have fair representation. There also needs to be further consideration of what the ‘strategic’ means in a rural context and how it will support rural growth, particularly for those strategic authorities which will serve both rural and urban populations.
Without the inclusion of this amendment, the Bill runs the risk of leaning towards an urban-centric approach to devolution, with many provisions drawn from the Greater London Act. The risks of the originally proposed programme of devolution have also been identified in a report commissioned by the Rural Housing Network, which noted the likelihood of English devolution creating a postcode lottery whereby some rural areas will benefit from devolution-driven investment whereas others’ needs are overlooked. This amendment made by the House of Lords ensures that different contexts across the country are more thoroughly considered within the Bill and provides a safeguard to ensure that Mayors and strategic authorities are considering rural communities in their decision-making.