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News Release from: The Town and Country Planning Association
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 17 December 2004
Planning Delivery Grant (PDG
Creative planning takes second place to the drive to meet targets.
Creative planning has taken second place to the drive to meet targets This is one of the main conclusions of an independent report commissioned by the National Planning Forum on the state of council planning departments
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 14 Oct 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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Council planners are very positive about the Planning Delivery Grant (PDG) which has given departments some much needed resource and capacity for improvements.
However the incentive to retain and increase PDG which is linked to delivery targets is now a major driver, with the need to process planning applications quickly, dominating the workload.
"The focus is now on processing the detail at the expense of the strategic" said Liz Peace, Chair of the National Planning Forum (NPF).
"Many local authority planners even at a senior level, are now turning a handle rather than engaging in the creative, visionary activity that brought them into planning in the first place and where they can make a real difference to our quality of life." "We must find ways in which planners can move onto the front foot, offering vision and greater certainty to both developers and communities" she continued.
"This will help scotch the perception that has gained ground in recent years that planning is simply a bureaucratic paper chase." The report recommends removing minor development from the planning system to release the resources and talents of staff to return to vital pre-application discussions and the drafting of development briefs.
The report also calls for the closer involvement of those councillors who decide planning applications, in the drawing up of policy beforehand.
"The National Planning Forum is committed to improving the planning service for the benefit of everyone" said Liz Peace "and this report contains a host of recommendations we must consider if we are to seize the opportunity of the new Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act to shape a better future for town and country".
" The report points out that this can only be realised if changes are made and the NPF will be at the forefront of sharing best practice to help make this happen.".
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