# / . 4 % 8 4 - ! 9 MORE RESOURCES IF EFFICIENCY AND SPEED ARE TO BE INCREASED WHILE ALSO CONCENTRATING ON QUALITY s 2EDUCING THE NUMBER OF STATUTORY CONSULTEES WOULD NOT REDUCE DELAY THEY ARE CONSULTED SIMULTANEOUSLY AND WORK TO TIGHT DEADLINES AND COULD ACTUALLY LEAD TO SLOWER AND POORER QUALITY DECISIONS DUE TO THE ABSENCE OF NECESSARY INFORMATION AND UNDERSTANDING s 4HE PROPOSAL FOR BUSINESS PLANNING ZONES SHOULD BE MODIFIED TO MAKE THEM MORE RELEVANT AND EFFECTIVE )N THE S SIMPLIFIED PLANNING ZONES WHICH RELAXED PLANNING CONTROLS BUT LACKED THE FINANCIAL INCENTIVES OF ENTERPRISE ZONES WERE INEFFECTIVE -ORE RECENTLY GOOD MASTER PLANNING AND EMPHASIS ON URBAN DESIGN HAVE PROVIDED A BASIS FOR THE MOST SUCCESSFUL REGENERATION SCHEMES 4HE BUSINESS PLANNING ZONES SHOULD BE GEARED TO HIGH VALUE INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT RATHER THAN RELAXATION OF CONTROLS s 2ELAXED PLANNING CONTROLS WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT SITES WHERE HIGH VALUE INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT IS SOUGHT 4HE RELAXATION OF PLANNING STANDARDS WOULD FACILITATE POOR DEVELOPERS WHILE DISADVANTAGING THE BEST DEVELOPERS WHO WOULD SUFFER FROM UNCERTAINTY OVER THE QUALITY OF ADJOINING SCHEMES )T WOULD BE DAMAGING TO RELAX PLANNING STANDARDS IN ANY AREA CONTAINING HISTORIC BUILDINGS ! BETTER EMPHASIS WOULD BE ON FACILITATING DESIGN AND HERITAGE LED REGENERATION AS A MEANS TO HIGH VALUE INVESTMENT 4HE BUSINESS PLANNING ZONES PROPOSED WOULD NOT HAVE CREATED #ASTLEFIELD "RINDLEY0LACE OR OTHER HIGH PROFILE REGENERATION SCHEMES 4HE ZONES SHOULD BE FORMULATED SO AS TO AVOID DEFLECTING INVESTMENT FROM EXISTING TOWN AND CITY CENTRES s #ONSERVATION AREA CONTROLS NEED TO BE SIMPLIFIED AND MODERNISED -EMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE OFTEN SHOCKED AT THE LEVEL OF HARM THAT CAN BE CAUSED IN CONSERVATION AREAS UNDER PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS 4HEY ARE ALSO OFTEN MYSTIFIED TO FIND THAT HOUSEHOLDERS ARE EXEMPT FROM CONTROL BUT THOSE WHO LIVE IN FLATS ARE NOT !RTICLE DIRECTIONS CAN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PROTECTION BUT ARE COMPLEX TIME CONSUMING AND CONFUSING TO THE PUBLIC #ONSERVATION AREA DESIGNATIONS SHOULD INTRODUCE STANDARD CONTROLS TO PROVIDE THE DEGREE OF PROTECTION EXPECTED BY THE PUBLIC %LEMENTS SUCH AS WINDOWS BRICKWORK CHIMNEYS AND ROOFS SHOULD BE PROTECTED AS A MATTER OF COURSE BY THE CONSERVATION AREA STATUS s 4HE EMPHASIS OF DEVELOPMENT CONTROL SHOULD BE CLEARLY DEFINED AS ONE OF QUALITY CONTROL ESPECIALLY CONCENTRATING ON THE CONCEPT OF ADDED VALUE #LEARLY EFFICIENCY IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS IS IMPORTANT BUT THE IMPACT ON THE GROUND IS THE MOST CRUCIAL ISSUE &UTURE GENERATIONS WILL HAVE LITTLE CONCERN FOR TODAY S ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSES BUT WILL HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE PHYSICAL LEGACY OF POOR DECISIONS WHICH WERE RUSHED THROUGH TO MEET DEADLINES .EW PERFORMANCE TARGETS ARE REQUIRED CONCENTRATING ON THE QUALITY OF THE DECISION ITSELF 5RBAN DESIGN AND THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT NEED TO BE EMPHASISED s #ONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO REMOVING FROM LOCAL PLANNING AUTHORITIES THE RIGHT TO DETERMINE THEIR OWN PLANNING APPLICATIONS s 7E BELIEVE THE PROPOSAL TO MERGE THE PLANNING AND LISTED BUILDING SYSTEMS IS FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED 0LANNING CONTROL IS CONCERNED WITH THE USE AND DEVELOPMENT OF LAND 4HE LISTED BUILDING PROCESS IS QUITE DIFFERENT DEALING WITH THE IMPACT OF WORKS ON THE SPECIAL INTEREST OF THE BUILDING AND RELATING TO ALL WORKS BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ALTERNATIVE TO SECTION OBLIGATIONS IS A RETROGRADE STEP !NY CHANGES SHOULD BE DESIGNED TO FOCUS SECTION OBLIGATIONS MORE SPECIFICALLY ON THE DEVELOPMENT IN QUESTION s /UTLINE PLANNING CONSENTS NEED TO BE RETAINED TO PROVIDE CERTAINTY TO DEVELOPERS (OWEVER FOR SITES OVER A CERTAIN SIZE OR IN SENSITIVE LOCATIONS TOWN CENTRES HISTORICALLY SENSITIVE AREAS AND PROMINENT SITES FOR EXAMPLE THEY SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN URBAN DESIGN MASTER PLAN AND STATEMENT PRODUCED BY A SUITABLY QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL )N MANY INSTANCES OUTLINE PLANNING APPLICATIONS WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR SITES IN VERY SENSITIVE HISTORIC AREAS s 4HE )NSTITUTE IS CONCERNED OVER THE LACK OF REFERENCE TO HISTORIC BUILDINGS IN THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO COMPULSORY PURCHASE POWERS 4HE )NSTITUTE WOULD BE PLEASED TO WORK WITH THE 'OVERNMENT TO HELP DEVELOP MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE COMPULSORY PURCHASE PROVISIONS s &OR THE PLANNING SYSTEM TO OPERATE AT MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY FACILITATING ECONOMIC AND URBAN REGENERATION BASED ON THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT PRIORITY NEEDS TO BE GIVEN TO PROPER RESOURCING 4HE $4,2 S 2ESOURCING OF ,OCAL 0LANNING !UTHORITIES ONLY BRIEFLY MENTIONS THE RESOURCING OF CONSERVATION FUNCTIONS $ETAILED RESEARCH ON THIS ISSUE COMMISSIONED BY THE )("# AND %NGLISH (ERITAGE IS BEING CARRIED OUT BY /XFORD "ROOKES 5NIVERSITY 4HIS IS DUE TO BE COMPLETED IN *UNE )T WOULD BE SENSIBLE FOR THE 'OVERNMENT TO USE THIS AS A BASIS FOR DECISIONS ON RESOURCING OF CONSERVATION IN THE FUTURE s &INALLY WE REMAIN UNCONVINCED CONCERNING THE CASE FOR THE LACK OF A NEED FOR PLANNING PERMISSION FOR THE DEMOLITION OF BUILDINGS !S ALL OTHER ENGINEERING OPERATIONS REQUIRE CONSENT IT WOULD APPEAR TO US THAT THE DEMOLITION OF A BUILDING SHOULD ALSO BE SUBJECT TO PLANNING PERMISSION 4HE PLANNING GREEN PAPER WE BELIEVE IS TO BE WELCOMED IF IT BRINGS ABOUT NEW RESPECT FOR THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT AND A RESURGENCE OF ARCHITECTURAL QUALITY IN NEW DEVELOPMENT WHILE ALLOWING NEW DEVELOPMENT AND REGENERATION SCHEMES TO BE POWERED THROUGH AN ADEQUATELY RESOURCED PLANNING SYSTEM SENSITIVE TO ALL THE ISSUES WITH MINIMUM INTERFERENCE /N THE OTHER HAND WE WOULD BE EXTREMELY ANXIOUS IF IT WERE TO BE SEEN JUST AS A WAY FOR THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR TO BECOME PREVALENT THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM 2ICHARD -ORRICE )("# SECRETARY 4HE TWO SYSTEMS REQUIRE MEMBERS OF DIFFERENT PROFESSIONS TO DEAL WITH THEM 4HE TWO SYSTEMS REQUIRE DIFFERENT KNOWLEDGE SPECIALISMS AND EXPERTISE AND USUALLY MEMBERS OF DIFFERENT PROFESSIONS TO DEAL WITH THEM 4HE MERGING OF THE TWO INCOMPATIBLE SYSTEMS WOULD CREATE A SYSTEM OF HORRENDOUS COMPLEXITY AND AMBIGUITY 4HERE WOULD BE CONFUSION OVER THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF PLANS SPECIFICATIONS AND LEVELS OF DETAIL REQUIRED FOR PLANNING AND LISTED BUILDING PROPOSALS #ONSENTS WOULD BECOME VERY COMPLICATED AND POTENTIALLY AMBIGUOUS ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF CONDITIONS )T WOULD REPRESENT A DOWNGRADING OF CONSERVATION CONTROLS )NAPPROPRIATE ALTERATIONS TO LISTED BUILDINGS WOULD BE MORE LIKELY TO GAIN CONSENT s 4HE PROPOSAL TO INTRODUCE A TARIFF BETTERMENT TAX FOR DEVELOPMENT AS AN
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