Source · Select Committees · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Paragraph: 58
We welcome the £65 million for the planning regime announced in the Spending Review towards...
Recommendation
We welcome the £65 million for the planning regime announced in the Spending Review towards a new digital system, though more detail is needed on what this new system will entail. Additionally, this announcement falls significantly short of our previous calls for £500 million over four years for local planning authorities. We call on the Government to provide additional funding for local authorities to build place partnerships and place leadership. The Government could consider additionally allowing bids for government funds available for high streets to include budgeting for place leadership and placemaking resource alongside capital investment. We also reiterate our call for the Government’s resource and skills strategy for the planning system to be published in advance of primary legislation. This strategy should include a focus on planning high streets and place partnerships.
Paragraph Reference:
58
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
We need a modernised planning system – one which embraces digital technology, benefits communities and creates places in which people can take real pride. The additional £65m announced as part of the Spending Review is critical to achieving this vision. Ministers are considering how to best take forward last year’s proposals for planning reform, including the digital reforms, and an announcement on next steps will be made in due course. Making sure local authorities, and the wider planning sector, have the right capabilities to implement the reforms successfully is critical. The settlement reached will enable us to make the upfront investment in skills and capability required, and further detail will be shared in due course. Government has been proactive in building capacity within Local Authorities within recent local growth funds. Both the Towns Fund and Levelling Up Fund contain dedicated resource for Local Authorities most in need to be able to produce the most robust bids. For the Towns Fund, capacity funding has enabled places to access technical expertise for business case development, run business and wider community engagement events, convene Town Deal Boards and develop comprehensive Town Investment Plans.