RICS responds to Conservative Planning Green Paper

RICS response

As a professional body established in the public interest, RICS welcomes in principle any steps towards greater involvement of communities in local development and in shaping their neighbourhoods.

RICS fully supports the move towards improving and increasing sustainable development. We are concerned, however, that the policy framework, as set out currently in the Green Paper, merely places control into a different set of hands and will not produce any improvements in certainty, process and the prospects for attracting much needed investment into new development infrastructure.

RICS does not believe that the stated policy aims, many of which we support, will be realised under these proposals for control shift.

RICS is consulting with its members on the specific components of the Conservatives' Open Source Planning Green Paper and will respond in detail shortly. Our general views are:

The overall principles of a well-functioning property market are a planning system which is evidence-based in measuring and planning for current and future local needs and which involves local people in shaping their emerging communities.
RICS supports predictability and consistency, based on a long-term plan led system. This aids both investment and forward planning, and this is essential in delivering long-term infrastructure needed to support local communities.

There are many ways to deliver national planning frameworks with varying levels of devolution. While the Green Paper devolves more power than currently exists to the local level, it is important that local authorities' delivery is monitored and benchmarked. It is essential that housing, infrastructure and services are delivered to meet real local needs.

Historically, the planning system has been predominantly a three tier relationship between national, above local (e.g. County or regional) and local. If the regional tier is removed completely, RICS would wish to see that clear responsibility and leadership is defined for regional and sub regional infrastructure projects.

The redesigned Local Development Frameworks are likely to result in substantially more work for local planning authorities. RICS would like to see specific details on how the resourcing for LPAs will be increased to meet this need.

RICS generally welcomes the proposed transition to a single tariff based system which replaces s.106 and the Community Infrastructure Levy. Setting locally-appropriate tariffs will deliver transparency and predictability for the property market and will encourage development.

RICS continues to raise the need for greater accountability as to how and when local infrastructure gets built with this source of funding.

Contact
Gillian Charlesworth
e gcharlesworth@rics.org

source : RICS