The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) responded to the Autumn Statement and highlighted that the additional investments in planning resources will be added to other increases already seen.
Victoria Hills, Chief Executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute said: “The Chancellor of the Exchequer has emphasised the importance of planning in his Autumn Statement for growth, placing investment into the planning system at the heart of today’s announcements.
“By giving planning the time and significance it deserves, it is a recognition that, when appropriately resourced, planning is an enabler, not a blocker to unlocking the economic, environmental, and societal gains of the country.
“Investments such as Local Authority Housing fund and planning backlog funding are welcome. We eagerly await further information on this funding. A full cost recovery of planning applications for businesses will be a step toward providing Local Planning Authorities with the essential resources they need to help both communities and businesses thrive. We estimate that 15% of planning applications that Local Planning Authorities process come from businesses.
“Nutrient and Water Neutrality is holding up an estimated 100,000 homes and putting the future of small and medium-sized developers at risk for a problem that is due to both agricultural pollution and existing sewage. We have been advocating for the Government to address this issue for a long time and we are pleased to see that they have recognised the problem and invested in resolving it.
“The Institute and our members will begin considering consultations on new uses of Permitted Development Rights for duplex conversions and heat pumps, which can serve a delivery purpose but may reduce the quality of homes. We will also consider the NPPF's impact on electric vehicles.”
