The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill has now received Royal Assent. The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has worked continuously throughout the Bill’s passage through parliament to ensure changes to the planning system reflect the changes its members want to see.
The Government has made some important concessions to require public consultation on new nationally-imposed development management policies; give regard to adaptation and mitigation for climate change in these new planning policies and; introduce new regulations allowing councils to conduct hybrid planning committee meetings where some people can attend online.
Not all changes the RTPI called for made it into the Act. However, this movement from the Government will improve these fundamental changes to England’s planning system.
The RTPI owes its gratitude to the many supportive Ministers, MPs and Peers across the political spectrum who’ve advocated strongly – and late into the night – for the importance of proactive planning or voted for measures that would support communities and planners to benefit from these reforms.
The RTPI is now encouraging Government to work closely with planners on new regulations and policy changes enabled by this Act.
Victoria Hills, Chief Executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) said: “This legislation brings our profession one step closer to delivering plans and decisions that will make places better. Government must now engage frequently with planners to ensure that new regulations and policy changes enabled by this Act work as intended to get more homes delivered, attract more investment for growth and level up our country.”
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