Senior Public Affairs Officer, Joel Cohen, explains how the RTPI has put forward the collective voice of the profession since the new Government was elected.
Parliamentary recess begins today; but you wouldn’t know it.
A new National Planning Policy Framework and consultation has been scheduled to kickstart your summer and fill your pool-side reading pile with policy documents, column inches and expert commentary about our potential planning future. This is the pace of policy development we’ve come to expect from a familiarly named Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government with an economic mission to deliver.
RTPI members rightly expect us to represent the profession’s collective voice and to advocate for a better and more reliable planning system. In this round-up you’ll find the many ways the RTPI has acted on our member’s wishes to be a core part of the planning conversation at this important inflection point for the profession.
On the eve of the election it was clear that planning would be a ‘day 1 issue’ should Sir Kier Starmer become Prime Minister. On his first day we addressed the Prime Minister to promote planning capacity and skills as “the best foundation for [this Government’s] reforms”.
Since then we’ve also responded to announcements by the Chancellor and the Kings’ Speech to ensure the public understand how planning can be a driver of national renewal and accelerate economic growth if properly resourced and supported.
The quality of our research and expertise and the relevance of these responses have brought planning and the RTPI to the attention of millions of people across media appearances on BBC radio, an op ed in City AM and coverage in The Times, Guardian and Financial Times, as well as trade coverage in Housing Today and Local Government Chronicle. We’ve also responded robustly when other voices have taken this opportunity to misrepresent our profession and its vital role.
We met with the newly appointed Housing and Planning Minister, Matthew Pennycook MP, in his new office to better understand his priorities and to emphasise the constructive, solutions-orientated role that the RTPI aim to play as a longstanding partner of the Department. In opposition, this particular Minister worked constructively with the Royal Town Planning Institute to scrutinise and secure amendments to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act and he’s been a leading supporter of many of our Planifesto’s main asks.
RTPI Chief Executive Victoria Hills with Housing and Planning Minister, Matthew Pennycook MP
We hope to see the Government champion the positive, proactive power of planning and we will continue to advocate for better resourcing of local planning authorities, strategic planning and improved services and delivery across the many important functions that planners and development play in communities.
Our profession includes many different opinions about how best to deliver these reforms so it is vital that RTPI members across the public and private sector use their voices to engage with the key issues, offer advice to help balance competing interests or priorities and support us to demonstrate the planning profession’s expertise.
We are a small – but mighty – team at the RTPI and we need your help to keep up this pace.
Wherever you go this summer, please can keep an eye on the RTPI’s social media, newsletters and website for opportunities to get involved.
