Civic movement rallies behind a “people’s revolution” in planning
Local communities need new powers to prevent developers and local councils flouting the new neighbourhood plans promised by the Coalition Government.
This is the message from Civic Voice’s [1] first AGM being held in Peterborough today (Saturday) as the Government puts the finishing touches to its Localism Bill promising radical reforms of the planning system . As the most numerous participants in the planning system, civic volunteers are set to play a central role in the Government’s “Big Society” ambitions for better planning. A copy of Civic Voice’s submission is attached.
Welcoming civic volunteers from across England to the AGM, Paula Ridley, Chair of Civic Voice will say, “Change is in the air, as local communities take more control over their own future and the civic movement is part of this. We want to play a revitalised role in promoting civic pride and making the places where everyone lives more attractive, enjoyable and distinctive.”
Tony Burton, Civic Voice’s Director, will say “The Coalition Government’s commitments to give “local people the power to engage in genuine local planning” could not be more welcome. They need to be backed by a community right of appeal against development which conflicts with agreed plans.”
Civic Voice research has found that far from being the “recipe for chaos”[3] feared by the development lobby, just 0.15% of the six million planning applications submitted in the last decade [4] significantly cut across agreed development plans and would be subject to a new right of appeal.
Tony Burton will comment, “The Coalition Government should back its own conviction that local people know their area best by making sure agreed plans cannot be bypassed. Local communities will become rapidly disheartened if their voluntary efforts to shape their neighbourhood are undermined by councils granting planning consent for development which flouts everything that has been agreed.”
NOTES FOR EDITORS
1. Civic Voice works to make the places where everyone lives more attractive, enjoyable and distinctive. We speak up for civic societies and local communities across England. We promote civic pride. We are the new national charity for the civic movement and have a strong local presence. We believe everyone has the right to live somewhere they can be proud of. We know how people feel about places because we feel the same way. Civic societies are the most numerous participants in the planning system. Since its launch in April 2010 Civic Voice has been joined by 268 civic societies with more than 68,000 members. Further information is available at http://www.civicvoice.org.uk including how to join Civic Voice (£10 individuals) and contact details for local civic societies. More information on Civic Voice’s Planning for People campaign is available on our website here http://www.civicvoice.org.uk/campaigns/planning-for-people
2. “We will radically reform the planning system to give neighbourhoods far more ability to determine the shape of the places in which their inhabitants live.” The Coalition: our programme for government, 2010
3. British Property Federation, 22 February 2010
4. 8,663 planning applications were notified to the Secretary of State as departures from the development plan under the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Development Plans and Consultation) (Departures) Direction 1999 between 30 August 1999 and 19 April 2009. Around 5,938,000 planning applications were received by all local planning authorities over the same period
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Tony Burton, Director, Civic Voice (m) 07810 657729 (t) 020 7981 2881
Ian Harvey, Co-ordinator, Civic Voice (m) 07877 096968 (t) 0151 708 9920