Lucy Frazer, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, has responded on behalf of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to a letter from the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) The Minister highlights the important role of the RTPI in working with officials within the Department. She recognised the capacity and capability challenges faced by the local planning authorities and wider planning sector, as well as the shortfall between the income from planning fees and the cost of processing planning applications.
Frazer noted the important role of strategic planning, stating that effective town planning requires a coordinated approach between local authorities and for them to work together across a geography that better reflects daily life and transcends administrative boundaries.
The response came following a letter, written by Chief Executive Victoria Hills and representing the Institute’s 27,000 members, urging Mr Sunak to provide certainty on planning reforms, adequate funding for planning, and to give local communities a say on what happens in their area.
The RTPI continued to actively work to engage government throughout 2022 and into 2023, demonstrating that an effective and robust planning system can be an enabler of economic growth, delivering the affordable homes, public services and critical infrastructure that this country needs.
Read the full response from Lucy Frazer here.
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