Politics - The Problem With Planning?
It seems every day there is a new headline relating to issues with the planning system and associated planning reform. Whilst there is no doubt that the planning system is currently failing on many fronts – arguably this is at least in part due to the politicised nature of the system and an unstable government.
One of the primary issues with political influence on town planning lies in the tension between short-term political gains and long-term planning vision. Political cycles prioritise immediate results to appease voters or fulfill election promises, leading to decisions which promote political support over sustainable development and well-conceived urban planning – often against the advice of the Planning Officers (who are trained, and educated in the topic). Such decisions continue to hinder long-term growth, resilience, and the creation of thriving communities.
Political changes at both national and local levels invariably lead to shifts in planning policies, causing uncertainty for developers, investors, and communities. The constant fluctuations in regulations can also hinder investment in large-scale projects and create a disjointed approach to town planning. This is evidently a critical issue at the moment, in an already unstable market resulting from rising material costs and interest rates.
Whilst we dissect yet another set of planning promises from Michael Gove, intended to 'boost housebuilding and drive growth', the headline messages, in reality, propose very little change to the existing system and are largely contradictory; promoting design quality and local support for new development, alongside a suggestion of extended permitted development rights (which we know can lead to poor quality development).
Notwithstanding, any planning reform in the UK is largely meaningless without a true commitment to addressing the resourcing issues across the Country and therefore the suggestion of additional funding for Local Planning Authority resourcing (including a commitment to upskilling) is a welcome message. This does not however appear to be backed by any real efforts to improve accountability (through changes to the Planning Committee Process or improvements and commitment to improving the appeals process) and will be at the cost of the developer – through higher application fees.
Given the political instability in the Country, planning will no doubt continue to be a key political football, sadly resulting in a smokescreen of ‘changes’ to the system, which will lack any real ’bite’ prior to the elections.
It is however clear that the real problem in planning (at least in the short term) is politics, and whilst political involvement can bring democratic decision-making into the planning process, it can also lead to challenges that we seeing at the moment through a lack of a clear long-term vision, policy stability, and resource allocation.
What the planning system really needs is a Government which can provide clear, consistent, and predictable policies that can withstand political transitions, whilst meaningfully investing in planning resources.
