Proposals to streamline the planning process issued in the Government White Paper 'Planning for a Sustainable Future' (May 2007) are a step in the right direction. But lack of detail is an issue, says Stephen Nicol.
Stephen Nicol / Managing Director, Regeneris Consulting
There is widespread agreement that the complexities of the current planning system cause lengthy and costly delays in getting major infrastructure projects off the ground.
The new White Paper, 'Planning for a Sustainable Future' (click here to download), proposes to overcome this by setting up an Independent Planning Commission to take decisions on projects of national significance.
The proposals represent a sea change in the way we approach large infrastructure projects and will certainly improve national economic efficiency, hence the keen interest of the Treasury. However, the lack of detail raises important issues.
If decisions are to be based on a range of national policy guidelines, these guidelines must be crystal clear. Currently national policy is often woolly, and there are major inconsistencies in policies across different departments – for example plans to increase airport capacity while reducing climate change.
Getting these national policy guidelines right will be crucial as they will in effect drive the decisions of the Planning Commission. The government has a poor record to date on developing coherent cross-departmental policies.
The Commission will also have to perform a difficult ‘planning balance act’, weighing national benefits against potential adverse local impacts. The question is how they will do this, as no guidance is given in the White Paper. These judgments are potentially highly subjective. I believe there is the scope for far better use of economics valuation methods in the decision-making process.
All decisions will be subject to strong scrutiny and it is possible that some will face potential legal and political challenges. Outcomes may not be quite so clear cut as the government intends. The recent overturning of the Casino Commission's recommendation of Manchester as the site of the proposed new super-casino highlights this point.
While the system is designed to reduce the impact of Nimbyism, it must allow legitimate democratic debate. Local groups will have less opportunity to protest and may feel the cards are already stacked against them. However, it need not necessarily be a case of ‘minnows’ versus larger public or commercial powers. The changes could in principle allow a much stronger voice for local interests if the process allows and the Commissioners really want this. The White Paper is not clear on how much time and how seriously local objections will be allowed.
Further clarification is also required as to who the independent commissioners will be. They need to be strong and independent of government or other interests, and their numbers must include some who take a special interest in local community and environmental impacts.
Finally, the proposals are unclear as to whether decisions on issues such as the siting of new nuclear plants can be taken in parallel, to allow the pros and cons of different sites to be assessed simultaneously. This would avoid cases such as the Dibden Bay deep sea container terminal, where the decision-making process was fundamentally flawed as the application was examined in isolation, without considering other location options in the UK.
The planning proposals would speed up the approval of local development frameworks and larger infrastructure projects. However, there are still some fundamental issues that need to be addressed if the new system is to lead to fast and fair decision-making in the way the government intends.
Stephen Nicol is managing director of Regeneris Consulting. Let us know what you think about the new White Paper by emailing comment@regeneris.co.uk, or for a discussion on Regeneris Consulting's services to the planning system, contact Stephen directly on 0161 926 9214 or s.nicol@regeneris.co.uk.
You can also download our planning services brochure, 'Economics for the Planning System', by clicking here.
This article appeared in Regeneration and Renewal magazine on 1st June 2007.
The White Paper 'Planning for a Sustainable Future' was published by Communities and Local Government (CLG) on 21st May 2007. Click here to visit the report's website.
