Written evidence from the Town and Country
Planning Association (TCPA) (TE 53)
1.0 ABOUT THE
TCPA
1.1 The Town and Country Planning Association
(TCPA) is an independent charity working to improve the art and
science of town and country planning. Representing the views of
our membership organisations and individuals from local authorities,
planning academics and practitioners under the policy guidance
of the Policy Council, the TCPA puts social justice and the environment
at the heart of policy debate and inspires government, industry
and campaigners to take a fresh perspective on major issues, including
planning policy, housing, regeneration and climate change. Our
objectives are to:
- Secure a decent, well designed home for everyone,
in a human-scale environment combining the best features of town
and country.
- Empower people and communities to influence decisions
that affect them.
- Improve the planning system in accordance with
the principles of sustainable development.
1.2 The TCPA welcomes the Transport Select Committee's
inquiry into "transport and the economy". Given our
expertise in planning our evidence to the Committee is specifically
focussed on the inquiry question: How will schemes be planned
in the absence of regional bodies and following the revocation
and abolition of regional spatial strategies?
2.0 SUMMARY OF
TCPA SUBMISSION
2.1 The TCPA's principle for a sustainable and
successful provision for transport as set out in the TCPA Policy
Statement for Accessible and Sustainable Transport is the
need to respond to the needs and aspirations of communities, as
well as to the future impacts of regeneration and growth. Even
more urgent action is needed, in the context of forthcoming significant
reforms, if the vision for creating sustainable communities is
to become a reality. The TCPA calls for retaining the strategic
approach to transport provision, requiring:
- integration of local and national transport networks;
- co-ordination between government departments'
corporate strategies to form coherent policies; and
- transport provision to be a primary consideration,
but subservient to factors such as homes and retail, in planning
or re-planning communities.
2.2 The TCPA's submission examines the question
"How will schemes be planned in the absence of regional bodies
and following the revocation and abolition of regional spatial
strategies?" by drawing on two of the recently published
briefing papers - National Planning Framework and
"The bigger picture and the longer view: really useful
strategic planning". In summary, in the context of
radical reforms, the TCPA requests clarification over the status
of National Policy Statements and new UK infrastructure plans.
The TCPA believes that a revised planning system must offer a
strong system which can deal with strategic transport issues which
are too big in scale or timeframe to be resolved within one local
planning authority area. Democratic strategic planning is not
top-down imposition, but about integrating local plans into coherent
frameworks. Effective strategic planning can reduce costs to both
public and private sectors, secures efficiency savings, and protects
the environment. It can:
- provide certainty and generate confidence for
private investors;
- set clear priorities for public expenditure;
- make best use of resources; and
- align public and private investment, and national
and local spending plans.
3.0 TCPA POLICY
WORK ON
THE COALITION
GOVERNMENT'S
PLANNING REFORM
AGENDA
3.1 The TCPA has been actively engaged in examining
the proposals set out in the Conservative Party Policy Paper,
"Open Source Planning"[153]
which laid the foundations for the new Government's planning reform
package. Drawing on feedback from over 100 participants in five
cross-sector roundtable debates the TCPA produced "The
Future of Planning Report"[154]
which presents a series of solution-focused recommendations.
3.2 This month (September 2010) the TCPA published
a series of "Making Planning Work" briefing papers which
set out in more detail the core principles for consideration and
TCPA recommendations for the Government's planning reform agenda.
- Responsible democratic localism http://www.tcpa.org.uk/data/files/final_mpw_bp1.pdf
- National Planning Framework http://www.tcpa.org.uk/data/files/final_mpw_bp2.pdf
- The bigger picture and the longer view: really
useful strategic planning http://www.tcpa.org.uk/data/files/final_mpw_bp3.pdf
- Incentives for growth http://www.tcpa.org.uk/data/files/final_mpw_bp4.pdf
4.0 THE CASE
FOR A
NATIONAL PLANNING
FRAMEWORK AND
STRATEGIC PLANNING
To examine the question "How will schemes be
planned in the absence of regional bodies and following the revocation
and abolition of regional spatial strategies?" the TCPA draws
on two of the recently published briefing papers, firstly the
National Planning Framework and secondly "The
bigger picture and the longer view: really useful strategic planning"
4.1 Impact of the loss of the current framework
4.1.1 First and foremost, the TCPA draws the
Committee's attention to a comparison of the current system for
integrated planning, transport and economic development to the
proposed future system (see Figure 1). The current Regional Transport
Strategy is integrated into the Regional Spatial Strategy, and
as enacted in the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction
Act 2009, further integrated with the Regional Economic Strategy
into an integrated Regional Strategy (RS). The now revoked Policy
Statement on Regional Strategy stated that in terms of transport,
the RS policies and priorities should integrate "Transport
needs and services in delivering sustainable economic development,
regeneration, investment, housing growth and climate change mitigation"[155].
Key transport investments (in rail for example) were designed
to support spatial objectives, such as the need to support areas
of regeneration need or major city centres, and environmental
objectives, such as the need to reduced car travel. The RTS has
a critical role in advising on the allocation of regional Community
Infrastructure Funds, as well as its critical role in providing
the strategic policy framework for LDFs and local transport plans.
4.1.2 In essence, the significant impact from
the revocation of the RSS is this complete loss of a strategic
identification of needs and priorities, in particular transport
infrastructure of a strategic nature which extends beyond administrative
local authority boundaries. The TCPA is concerned and believes
that any effective and sustainable future planning for major transport
infrastructure such as the intra-regional transport schemes as
well as proposals for High Speed 2 and other strategic networks
may be compromised by this strategic deficit. This point is particularly
pertinent in the context of moves to rebalance the economy and
the important role of transport in making this happen, ie enabling
the co-ordinated planning and delivery of transport infrastructure
such as ports, airports and rail to support growth and regeneration
in the north.
Figure 1
EXISTING AND FUTURE PROCESSES FOR INTEGRATED
PLANNING FOR TRANSPORT IN ENGLAND
4.1.3 The TCPA's evidence to the Transport Committee's
inquiry into the ports NPS[156]
earlier in 2010 highlighted the need for potential applications
for port developments to be "region-proof" by assessing
them against alignment or "fit" with regional and local
transport strategies. Together with potential applications for
other types of forthcoming nationally-significant transport projects,
this would ensure that a coherent and much needed co-ordinated
approach is taken to transport infrastructure planning. The Committee's
conclusions and recommendations clearly agreed with the role of
regional strategic planning in providing a clear policy framework
for integrated decisions in line with sustainable development[157].
4.2 National planning framework
4.2.1 The TCPA strongly believes in the need
for a national planning framework. A cross-party commission, serviced
by the Association, made the case for such a policy in a 2006
report, Connecting England[158],
which was widely acclaimed across the
political spectrum. In a subsequent report, Connecting Local
Economies[159],
published in February 2010 we reviewed
the opportunities for major transport decisions. We welcome the
Coalition Government's commitment to a "national planning
framework" covering all forms of development and setting
out national economic, environmental and social priorities.
4.2.2 A national planning framework to re-balance
the economy: A new national framework would be an important
mechanism for fulfilling the Government's commitment to re-balance
the economy, well articulated by the Prime Minister and other
ministers. It would:
- guide national infrastructure investment, setting
out the indicative timing, broad location, and scale of key infrastructure
projects;
- examine national (spatial) inequalities, by laying
the foundations for a better economic balance between London,
the Greater South East (the "golden arc of prosperity"
from Hampshire, across the Thames Valley to East Anglia), and
the rest of the country, from the far South West to the North
East;
- address the challenges arising from population
change in different parts of the country and provide strategic
guidance on housing needs and demands; and
- inform investment and spending across government
- the national framework should aim to deliver coherence and hence
provide added value to the myriad of individual and corporate
decisions and actions across government and the wider public and
private sectors.
4.2.3 While we recognise the importance of London
and the Greater South East to the national economy, it is necessary
to address how London's growth relates to areas beyond its administrative
boundary - in terms of housing, economic development and transport,
for instance, as well as the future of the green belt - alongside
issues such as climate change and wider environmental matters.
The abolition of regional organisations outside the capital
will mean that the London Mayor, his administration and agencies
- such as Transport for London (TfL) - will have no regional scale
bodies to interact with. This underpins the case for a national
framework; it would fill a vacuum, and it would provide a vital
link between London's plans and areas surrounding the capital,
as well as the rest of the country.
4.2.4 A national planning framework and transport:
There is a clear need for a national overarching strategy to guide
transport investment and to complement individual National Policy
Statements (NPS) on specific areas - ports, airports, "national
networks" (rail and road) - which as yet do not necessarily
"join-up". Given that transport has a very strong relationship
with land use and the environment, any transport strategy cannot
rationally be divorced from a national framework. Key investments
(in rail, for example) should be designed to reinforce national
objectives (such as supporting underperforming areas and major
city centres), as well as to deliver environmental objectives
(such as balancing car travel with public transport usage).
4.2.5 There is clearly a need to address areas
of considerable deprivation (often sitting cheek by jowl with
areas of great wealth) within each region. Connecting Local
Economies argued that "connectivity" - within and
between regions and sub-regions - was one key step to realising
the potential of the country as a whole.
4.2.6 Planning reform must embark on a comprehensive
national framework which can deal with a wide range of social,
economic and environmental infrastructure issues. Such a framework
should have a clear legal status in the overall plan-making system.
There must be an integrated and consistent approach across the
NPS series, informing a joined-up national infrastructure framework
to enable confident and sustainable local, sub-regional and national
decision-making. The TCPA specifically supports a rounded NPS
embracing rail, roads, ports and airports.
4.3 Effective strategic planning and the potential
role of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs)
4.3.1 A revised planning system, truly fit for
purpose, must offer a strong mechanism for planning large areas
where strategic issues are too big in scale or timeframe to be
resolved within a single local planning authority area. Transport
and spatial planning based on functional economic areas reflect
these strategic issues, and both have begun to be addressed coherently
by the last Government through the integrated Regional Strategy.
4.3.2 In terms of effectiveness, there are two
major lessons to be learnt from previous systems of strategic
planning. The first is that voluntary collaboration between local
authorities can be fragile and can disintegrate following a change
of political leadership. Authorities can, for a very long period
of time, use the appearance of co-operating as a cover for doing
very little - or they might only co-operate selectively on some
matters. Such fragility is especially common where the need for
collaborative working is at its most intense - in and around tightly
bounded urban areas where expansion pressures bearing upon the
neighbouring countryside are strong. Here, the new concept
of a "duty to co-operate" offers great potential. If
this were imposed upon the large areas where collaborative planning
strategies are needed, co-operation, once embarked on, would need
to be monitored. Mechanisms for mediation between partners would
also have to be made available if necessary.
4.3.3 The second major lesson to be drawn from
previous systems of strategic planning is that large-area planning
strategies, involving proper consultation and tested through public
examination, would need to be embedded in the statutory development
plan. This has been a demonstrably effective tool to encourage
implementation of strategic plans. The role of the Secretary of
State would be limited to intervening only if the large-area plans
were discordant with the national spatial plan; if the processes
involved in plan-making were dilatory or illegal; or if there
were a very great outpouring of public dissatisfaction.
4.3.4 In attempting to help with the design of
collaborative arrangements for really useful strategic planning
in places where it is needed, the TCPA has considered the potential
of the new Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) proposed by the
Coalition Government. On the basis of what has been announced
so far, it is not clear that LEPs will be putative strategic plan-making
organisations with wide ranging functions for transport, housing
and planning. The TCPA remains to be convinced that they will
address the tests of functionality, accountability and effectiveness
necessary for strategic planning. However, we can be certain that,
while LEPs might cover all of England (as all places need some
cohesive economic development programme), given the right political
direction they could be particularly important participants in
strategic planning in the chosen large areas.
4.3.5 At the very least, LEPs might be authoritative
advisers on aspects of linking economic development and infrastructure
investments, including transport, as business interests will represent
half of their composition. LEPs must also be - as some RDAs were
- important executive agents in helping to deliver large-area
strategies. The TCPA aims to contribute more to the debate about
LEPs and their form and function in the forthcoming White Paper.
If the potential of the new LEPs to undertake really useful strategic
planning is to be realised:
- the resource base for LEPs should include the
land and property assets of the RDAs and other government agencies
in the area that have not been placed with local authorities;
- LEPs should be transparent and accountable in
their governance and in their work in order to avoid a disconnection
from the statutory development plan and to avoid the possibility
of corruption; and
- wasteful use of public resources in competition
between LEPs must be avoided.
5.0 CONCLUSION:
THE NEED
FOR A
LONG TERM
SOLUTION
5.1 There is a clear need for a national overarching
strategy to guide transport investment and to complement individual
NPS on specific areas - ports, airports, "national networks"
(rail and road) - which as yet do not necessarily "join-up".
Given that transport has a very strong relationship with land
use and the environment, any transport strategy cannot rationally
be divorced from a national framework. Key investments (in rail,
for example) should be designed to reinforce national objectives
(such as supporting underperforming areas and major city centres),
as well as to deliver environmental objectives (such as balancing
car travel with public transport usage). The TCPA calls for greater
clarity over the status of the proposed national infrastructure
plans, in terms of policy and governance relationship within the
illustration of Figure 1 above.
5.2 The removal of forums and mechanisms for
dealing with controversial cross border issues such as transport
infrastructure does not remove the underlying pressures which
drive these challenges. The proposed new measures to replace
the function of regional agencies and the RSS require careful
examination and require more detail to understand how they will
meet strategic infrastructure challenges. As a society we need,
both in the medium to long term, to put in place flexible and
democratic strategic planning.
September 2010
153 "Open Source Planning" (February 2010),
Conservative Policy Green Paper No. 14. Back
154 TCPA
(2010) The Future of Planning Report - distilling the roundtable
debates. TCPA, London
http://www.tcpa.org.uk/data/files/tcpa_futureplanning_report.pdf
Back
155 CLG
(2010) Policy Statement on Regional Strategy, Para. 3.6. Back
156 TCPA
submission to the Transport Committee inquiry into the Ports NPS
http://www.tcpa.org.uk/resources.php?action=resource&id=716
Back
157 Transport
Committee Fifth Report. The proposal for a National Policy
Statement for Ports (2010), Section 4. Back
158 TCPA
(2006) Connecting England. A Framework for Regional Development.
Final Report of the TCPA-Appointed Hetherington Commission on
the Future Development Needs and Priorities of England. TCPA,
London http://www.tcpa.org.uk/pages/connecting-england-connecting-england-76.html
Back
159 TCPA
(2010) Connecting Local Economies - the transport implications.
TCPA, London
http://www.tcpa.org.uk/data/files/connecting_local_economies_final.pdf
Back
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