Is Planning Policy Working?

PRESS RELEASE

Immediate publication

November 2013

Government select committee to ask “Is national planning policy working?”

Civic Voice welcomes spotlight being placed on planning policy

Civic Voice – the national charity for the civic society movement – today welcomed the announcement that the Department for Communities and Local Government Select Committee is to undertake a review of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Clive Betts MP, Chairman of the Committee, has announced that it will undertake the review in 2014 to see how the framework is working two years after implementation.

Dr Freddie Gick, Chair of Civic Voice, said;

“I am pleased to hear that the Select Committee will be focusing attention on the NPPF. We agree that we need more housing but we have found that the NPPF has failed to put communities at the heart of the planning system. Civic Voice campaigned for significant changes to the original NPPF document and said at the time that not providing councils with more time to adopt Local Plans in place in line with the NPPF was always going to be a huge issue for communities. The consequence has been to put many communities at greater risk of speculative development”.

Clive Betts MP announced at a conference of planning professionals on 20th November that a 2 year review will start in March 2014 when the committee will ask interested parties to submit evidence on the impact of the planning changes.

Gick finished by saying “.Our members have been informing us about situations where the NPPF is, in fact, undermining localism and we will be submitting evidence to the review and meeting the committee. Communities who want to inform the civic movement response should share their experiences of the NPPF in their local area with Civic Voice.”

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Civic Voice is the national charity for the civic movement. We work to make the places where everyone lives more attractive, enjoyable and distinctive and to promote civic pride. We speak up for civic societies and local communities across England. We believe everyone should live somewhere they can be proud of and we know how people feel about places because we feel the same way. Civic societies are the most numerous participants in the planning system. Since its launch in April 2010 Civic Voice has been joined by over 290 civic societies with 75,000 members. Further information is available at http://www.civicvoice.org.uk including how to join Civic Voice (£10 individuals) and contact details for local civic societies.
 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Ian Harvey ian.harvey@civicvoice.org.uk