# / . 4 % 8 4 - ! 9 )("# NEWS 2ESPONSE TO THE PLANNING GREEN PAPER 4HE )("# HAS SENT THE $4,2 THIS RESPONSE SLIGHTLY SHORTENED HERE TO THE GREEN PAPER 0LANNING DELIVERING A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE 4HE )NSTITUTE WELCOMES THE GENERAL AIMS OF THE GREEN PAPER 4HERE IS A CLEAR NEED TO MAKE THE PLANNING PROCESS SIMPLER AND MORE ACCESSIBLE )NDEED WE WOULD AGREE WITH A RADICAL AND MODERNIZING APPROACH TO PLANNING BUT WE WOULD EMPHASIZE THAT REFORMS TO THE PLANNING SYSTEM MUST BE FOCUSED ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CONTEXT OF THE PRESENT QUALITY OF THE PUBLIC REALM ARE ALSO KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF HIGH VALUE REGENERATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES 3UCH SCHEMES HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT TO ACT AS EXEMPLARS OF GENUINELY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 7E WOULD THEREFORE SUPPORT THE REFORM OF THE PLANNING SYSTEM IN THE GOVERNMENT S CURRENT AIM TO FACILITATE AND ENCOURAGE HERITAGE AND DESIGN LED REGENERATION AS UNDERLINED IN THE $#-3 $4,2 POLICY DOCUMENT 4HE (ISTORIC %NVIRONMENT A FORCE FOR OUR FUTURE PPS 4HE GOVERNMENT S POLICIES ON URBAN RENAISSANCE AND THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT NEED TO PROVIDE THE BASIS FOR REFORM /N THE DETAILED CONTENT OF THE GREEN PAPER THE )NSTITUTE WOULD MAKE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS s 4HE GREEN PAPER PLACES GREAT EMPHASIS ON THE INTERESTS OF BUSINESS WHILST THE COMMUNITY INTEREST IS AFFORDED SECONDARY PRIORITY )T IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE PLANNING SYSTEM SERVES A BALANCED RANGE OF INTERESTS INCLUDING BUSINESS ECONOMIC PROSPERITY THE COMMUNITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT BUILT NATURAL AND HISTORIC s 4HE PLANNING SYSTEM IS PREDICATED UPON THE NEED TO BALANCE THE BUSINESS CASE FOR DEVELOPMENT AGAINST OTHER SPECIAL INTERESTS IN A SMALL ISLAND AND SHOULD HAVE THE INTERESTS OF SUSTAINABILITY AT HEART )T IS IMPORTANT TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN ENLIGHTENED ENTREPRENEURIAL AND RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPERS AND BUSINESSES AND THOSE THAT PUT FORWARD SHORT TERM UNSUSTAINABLE SCHEMES WITH LITTLE CONCERN FOR THEIR IMPACT 4HE PLANNING SYSTEM SHOULD ACT LIKE A FILTER ALLOWING GOOD SCHEMES THROUGH EFFICIENTLY AND WITH MINIMUM INTERVENTION WHILST MODIFYING OR PREVENTING DAMAGING PROPOSALS 4HE PLANNING SYSTEM IS PARTLY ABOUT CORRECTING MARKET FAILURE AND ENSURING THAT THE EXTERNAL IMPACTS OF BUSINESS DECISIONS ARE FULLY CONSIDERED )T IS ALSO ABOUT ADDING VALUE TO THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND ENABLING REGENERATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT s &OR COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION TO BE MOST EFFECTIVE RESOURCES ARE REQUIRED FOR RAISING AWARENESS AND INTRODUCING EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES s 4HE PROPOSAL TO STREAMLINE AND SIMPLIFY THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN PROCESS IS WELCOMED IN PRINCIPLE (OWEVER THE IMPORTANCE OF ROBUST STRATEGIC PLANNING AGAINST A PROPER DEMOCRATIC PROCESS SHOULD NOT BE UNDERESTIMATED s 4HE NEW LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORKS COULD BE SIMPLIFIED BY REMOVING ALL REITERATION OF NATIONAL POLICY AND GUIDANCE /NLY SPECIFICALLY LOCAL MATTERS SHOULD BE INCLUDED 4HIS SHOULD ALLOW PER CENT OR MORE OF POLICIES IN A TYPICAL PLAN TO BE OMITTED 4HE ABILITY TO PRODUCE LOCAL DESIGN GUIDANCE AND CONSERVATION PLANS GOING BEYOND THE PRESENT LIMITATIONS OF BEING RESTRICTED SOLELY TO LAND USE PLANNING IS WELCOMED 4HE PROCESS OF VALIDATION OF SUCH PLANS NEEDS TO BE SUFFICIENTLY ROBUST TO BE GIVEN THE FULL WEIGHT OF S A s 4HE SUGGESTED CHANGES TO PERFORMANCE TARGETS FOR SPEED OF DECISION MAKING ARE WELCOMED "USINESSES ALSO HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY IN SPEEDING UP THE PLANNING PROCESS -ANY PLANNING SUBMISSIONS LACK THE NECESSARY DETAIL HAVE BEEN PREPARED WITHOUT THE NECESSARY PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND COMPRISE POORLY CONCEIVED SCHEMES 4HIS IS ESPECIALLY A PROBLEM WHERE HISTORIC BUILDINGS ARE INVOLVED WHICH REQUIRE EXPERIENCED AND CREATIVE PROFESSIONAL TEAMS s 4HE PROPOSED PLANNING CHECKLIST IS WELCOMED !PPLICATIONS SHOULD NOT BE REGISTERED UNLESS AN APPROPRIATE STANDARD OF SUBMISSION HAS BEEN MADE .ATIONAL GUIDANCE FOR DEVELOPERS ON PLANNING SUBMISSIONS SHOULD BE PRODUCED s 0ROPOSALS TO STREAMLINE AND SPEED UP THE PLANNING SYSTEM NEED TO BE TESTED TO ENSURE THAT THEY WOULD NOT REDUCE THE SCOPE FOR MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION OR HARM THE QUALITY OF DECISIONS 4HE PLANNING PROCESS NEEDS 7E REALISE THAT SUCH A CONSULTATION AS THIS IS BOUND TO BE GENERAL BUT WE ARE STILL DISTURBED TO SEE THAT THERE IS SO LITTLE MENTION IN THE GREEN PAPER OF THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT OR URBAN DESIGN .OT ONLY WOULD WE ARGUE THAT THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT IS A KEY STABILISER AND PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN TERMS IN OF NATIONAL REGIONAL AND LOCAL IDENTITY BUT IT IS ALSO A KEY FACTOR IN THE ECONOMIC SUCCESS OF THE 5+ 4HE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT PROVIDES A BASIS FOR HIGH LEVELS OF EMPLOYMENT IN CONSTRUCTION TOURISM AND A VARIETY OF BUSINESS AND LEISURE ACTIVITIES 2ECENT RESEARCH SUCH AS THE WORK CARRIED OUT BY %NGLISH (ERITAGE AND PUBLISHED IN #ONSERVATION LED 2EGENERATION THE HERITAGE DIVIDEND AND IN 0OWER OF 0LACE SHOWS THAT IT IS IN THE INTEREST OF BOTH BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY TO AFFORD HIGH PRIORITY TO THE PROTECTION OF HISTORIC AREAS AND BUILDINGS AND TO ENSURE THAT THEIR FULL POTENTIAL IS REALISED 4HE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT HAS BEEN A CENTRAL ELEMENT IN NUMEROUS HIGH PROFILE REGENERATION SCHEMES AROUND "RITAIN 5RBAN DESIGN AND ATTENTION TO THE &IFTY PER CENT OF POLICIES IN A TYPICAL PLAN COULD BE OMITTED 4HERE IS A CLEAR NEED TO MAKE THE PLANNING PROCESS SIMPLER
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