Civic Voice and RTPI welcome Government amendment on neighbourhood plans
Civic Voice and the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) today (4 October) welcomed a Government amendment to the Localism Bill which clarifies the purpose and role of business-led neighbourhood forums, echoing as it does an amendment at Committee Stage promoted by Civic Voice and the RTPI and tabled by Baroness Whitaker.
The Government amendment tidies up a clause in the Localism Bill which would have left business-led neighbourhood forums free to engage in positive planning without the express purpose of promoting or improving the social, economic and environmental well-being of an area. If successful, the amendment means that neighbourhood forums, whether resident or business-led, will have the same powers and the same overall purposes.
Welcoming the amendment Tony Burton, Director of Civic Voice, said: “The Government has listened and taken steps to avoid a business bias in neighbourhood plans. This will give confidence to communities that they can now come together to plan the future of their area for the benefit of everyone who lives and works there.”
Trudi Elliott CBE, Chief Executive of the RTPI said: “We applaud the Government for listening on this issue, and thank Baroness Whitaker for raising the issue with the Government at Committee Stage. The Government amendment addresses the concerns that many in the voluntary and planning sectors held, and we urge Peers to support the amendment.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
1. Civic Voice is the national charity for the civic movement. We work to make the places where everyone lives more attractive, enjoyable and distinctive and to promote civic pride. We speak up for civic societies and local communities across England. We believe everyone should live somewhere they can be proud of and 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 over 290 civic societies with 75,000 members. Further information is available at http://www.civicvoice.org.uk.
2. The RTPI is the largest professional institute for planners in Europe, with over 23,000 members. As well as promoting spatial planning, RTPI develops and shapes policy affecting the built and natural environment, works to raise professional standards and supports members through continuous education, training and development.
3. The amendment is in schedule 9 and is laid down by Baroness Hanham and reads:
Page 319, leave out lines 11 to 18 and insert—
“(a) it is established for the express purpose of promoting or improving the social, economic and environmental well-being of an area that consists of or includes the neighbourhood area concerned (whether or not it is also established for the express purpose of promoting the carrying on of trades, professions or other businesses in such an area),”
4. For an explanation of the issue and the original Civic Voice/RTPI proposal, click here