The planning
function has been relegated to lower positions in the corporate structure of
local authorities across the UK, a new
survey by the RTPI has revealed.
It finds that the
head of planning is a member of the top management team in only 17% of councils
in the UK despite the fact that planning is, like social services and
education, a statutory function.
The vast majority of
councils (83%) put planning two or three tiers down from the chief executive,
diluting its importance as a strategic corporate function that helps councils
tackle social, economic and environmental challenges.
Planning’s
effectiveness is also adversely impacted by decisions made in isolation from
other policy areas, the RTPI says.
Victoria Hills, RTPI Chief Executive, says: “Planning is a powerful
lever to deliver almost all areas of focus within an authority’s corporate
strategy.
"We urge more
council chief executives and portfolio holders to recognise this and put in the
right structure so that leaders can make major decisions – be they about
education, health or social care - with full view and proper debate of their
spatial dimensions, such as housing, transport, green spaces, energy and waste
infrastructure.
“Amid the challenges
of Brexit and tight resources, it is all the more important that councils
ensure planners are at the heart of corporate decision-making so that their
effectiveness to join the dots across complex spending decisions can be
maximised.
“Our members tell us
that councillors are more likely to respect planning advice from a senior
officer from a chief executive's team. All too often we see a lack of
joined-thinking, with investment decisions being made without a holistic
perspective that could give good growth outcomes.”
In response, Cllr
Martin Tett, LGA Housing spokesman, said councils understand the importance of
planning for local communities and residents - it's essential that communities
are able to have oversight over homes and environments in their local area.
"Planning is
not a barrier to housebuilding - councils approve nine out of 10 applications
and are determined to make sure that their residents can access affordable
housing," he conitnued. "However, with councils facing an overall
funding shortfall in excess of £5 billion by 2020, it's essential that the
Government adequately resources council planning departments, so that they can
cover the cost of processing applications.
"Ultimately, we
need to move towards locally set planning fees. Councils are the custodians of
their communities and understand the environmental and housing needs of their
local areas best, so they should be able to set fees locally in line with the
needs of their communities."
The RTPI
research looked at the management structure of 212 local authorities in
London, SE England, NW England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
The head of planning
is absent from the top table in 77% of councils in Wales and 94% of councils in
Scotland. In London, NW and SE, the corresponding figures are 86%, 90% and 78%.
By contrast,
planners have the highest status in Ireland - 78% of councils there have head
of planning reporting directly to the chief executive.
