The chief executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has responded to the publication of the government’s planning reforms, as detailed in its policy paper Planning for the Future:
Victoria Hills, chief executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), said: “The policy paper published by the government today represents a massive change to the planning system. There are some major propositions contained within the document that will not only require the government to work hand-in-hand with the planning profession to implement, but will also demand some serious resourcing.
“The RTPI will judge the success of these reforms on how successfully they tackle inequality, accelerate progress to net-zero carbon emissions, promote sustainable transport and answer the need for strategic planning.
“It is, however, extremely encouraging to see recognition in the proposals of the importance of a local plan, quality design, community engagement and a plan-led approach.
“We will be consulting widely with our members on these proposals and look forward to working constructively with the government to deliver sensible, realistic reforms that will ensure the high quality homes we need, and a sustainable, resilient and inclusive future for the UK. We must however not lose sight in the immediate term of the need to resource planning now so it can support the green recovery we all want to see.”