Guide to improve community planning published
A 'primer' designed to help planners and developers deliver better quality development which meets the needs of the voluntary and community sector has been published by the Town and Country Planning Association.
The guide, which includes a number of case studies, examines how to achieve more effective Section 106 agreements and Statements of Community Involvement (SCI), part of the new local development plan regime.
The 50-page document, researched and written by consultants Colin Buchanan, also considers the implications of the Community Infrastructure Levy, a form of statutory tariff or "roof tax" currently being developed by the Government and legislated for by the Planning Bill.
Royal Town Planning Institute president Janet O'Neill said: "A key challenge posed by this study is the finding that whilst tariff-based charges are an efficient means of delivering funding to physical service infrastructures, they tend to be less good at providing for 'softer' infrastructures that serve needs identified by communities."
TCPA chief executive Gideon Amos said: "It is widely accepted that community participation is a key ingredient in the delivery of good planning outcomes... However, in practice effective community involvement in the planning process is often neglected and the benefits remain unrealised."
The guide was the outcome of collaboration between the TCPA, the Rayne Foundation, the Ethical Property Foundation and the RTPI. It forms part of the Future Planning initiative.
Download 'Planning Community Needs' (PDF)
Roger Milne
31 July 2008
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