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The Royal Town Planning Institute

Manifesto for Planning


Introduction
Now, more than ever before, it is the planning system that guides how and where we live, work and
relax. Planning shapes our villages, towns, cities and countryside and is vital to the nation’s economic
well-being. Elected representatives and planners, working together, seek to strike the right balance
between the rights of individuals with the needs of the wider community. This can sometimes prove
contentious but the system we have manages this effectively for the benefit of everyone.
Our town and country planning system is respected around the world for the way in which it has allowed
our towns and cities to grow while protecting what makes the United Kingdom special. The challenge
for the next government will be to build on the strong foundations of the existing system and the skills
and experience of the planning profession and the development industry, as well as to involve local
people in a meaningful way to shape the right decisions for all our futures.

This manifesto
• summarises the RTPI's position on the leading issues facing planning;
• sets out what we believe should be the future for planning and details how these principles can be delivered;
• guides the RTPI’s engagement with all political parties leading up to and beyond the forthcoming general election;
• outlines principles for planning in the United Kingdom and across the world but with special relevance to planning
in England because this is a matter for the UK Parliament;
• will be supported in due course by manifestos for each of the UK nations with devolved planning powers to
address specific national issues;
• shows how a government committed to promoting economic recovery and wealth creation and addressing climate
change can enable communities to help shape better places to live and work through effective spatial planning;
• emphasises the opportunities for the RTPI and its members to help government develop a planning system that is
fit for purpose and keep it up to date;
• represents the long-term aspirations of the RTPI and the profession ~ it will be reviewed periodically to ensure it
remains relevant.

setting professional and ethical standards


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Summary of our 14 point campaign:
In the following pages we outline 14 campaign points to promote what we believe are the vital
issues that face planning and planners including what we intend to do on each point. They are:
Goals for planning
1. Standing up for planning
2. Making the system work better
3. Going beyond simply “sustainable development”
4. Empowering our communities
5. Providing better planning skills and resources
Planning ahead
6. Supporting national spatial planning frameworks
7. Delivering infrastructure
8. Strategic planning for strategic issues
9. Producing local plans for local issues
Making the right decisions
10. Moving from development control to development management
11. Retaining independent examination of planning decisions
12. Securing spatial assessment of policies
Living globally
13. Acting globally
14. Planning for the long term

These campaign points are driven by our vision for planning.

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Our vision for planning
The RTPI stands for planning that:
• identifies the needs and aspirations of communities at all levels from local to global;
• tackles the challenges of planning to live with climate change;
• determines the scale and type of development to meet community needs and aspirations in a
way that is sustainable, equitable and balances competing demands;
• manages the delivery of development from inception to completion;
• manages the integration of new development into existing communities;
• evaluates the success and impact of delivering development and learns from experience.

In order to achieve this, we promote a planning system that is:


Spatial ~ recognising the particular characteristics of places, the ways they are used and the
relationships between them;
Sustainable ~ balancing short-term needs with longer term social, economic and environmental
objectives including the need to be resilient, to reduce impacts on climate change and to adapt to
its consequences;
Integrative ~ recognising, accounting for and coordinating the programmes of different stakeholders
and service providers in meeting communities’ needs and providing joined up infrastructure;
Inclusive ~ recognising and valuing the wide range of people involved in and affected by planning
and development;
Value-driven ~ identifying, understanding and mediating conflicting sets of values and delivering
more for less;
Action-oriented ~ focusing on delivering practical and positive outcomes rather than on the
system or process itself.
Goals for planning
The UK planning system has a long and respected tradition of helping to shape the places where
people live and work within the context of wider economic, social and environmental objectives.
It is often seen by users as a seemingly bureaucratic control mechanism that permits or refuses
permission for development, rather than society’s essential tool for making successful and
enjoyable places that provide a high quality of life, economic growth and environmental protection.
Similarly, the wider context of development plans that set out a vision at the local, sub-regional,
regional and national levels and the strategic policies for providing national and local infrastructure
are (while essential) not always fully understood or accessible to communities. The RTPI is the
champion of planning and the planning profession and works to promote the role and practice of
spatial planning for the public benefit.

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1. Standing up for planning
4Effective plans can deliver important economic, social and environmental objectives and the needs
and aspirations of communities. Good planning integrates activity in a cost effective and joined up way.
4Planning has a crucial role in acting as a catalyst for economic recovery during a time of recession.
4Planning balances competing interests for the use of land, resolving conflicts between neighbours and
addressing relationships between land use and the environment, natural resources, heritage and people.
4It supports the economy by aligning infrastructure (such as energy supply and communications) with
economic development in the most effective way and by providing certainty for investors ~ not just
business investors but ordinary people buying their own homes.
4It protects important natural environments and heritage features and it safeguards the landscapes
and places we will value in the future.
4Planning enables communities to identify, protect and enhance the assets that matter to them to
retain the distinctiveness of their area.
4Planning is technical and based on complex legislation and practice but it is done for people and the
public good within a political environment: it requires highly skilled professionals who can understand
public needs to deliver results effectively in a balanced and equitable manner.
4Good planning requires and delivers a vision; ultimately the activity is all about creating and sustaining
places that are successful and enjoyable for their communities.

What we will do: The RTPI will campaign for governments at all levels to recognise that planning is the
essential mechanism through which their objectives can be delivered on the ground and it will ensure that
Chartered Town Planners have the necessary skills and expertise to meet these challenges.

2. Making the system work better


4The planning system in the UK has been through a lot of upheaval in recent years. Communities now
deserve stability so that their representatives in government at all levels can get on with delivering
community aspirations rather than adapting to yet more new systems of regulation.
4Unnecessary change diverts our attention from the major issues and creates uncertainty.
4We can deliver with the tools that are already there ~ but we are more likely to deliver and can deliver
more quickly if the right levels of resources and skills are provided, and we can get on with the job.
4The current primary legislation for planning in the UK is largely fit for purpose ~ it does not need
further radical overhaul ~ this would just lead to delay, confusion and lack of confidence across the
development sector.
4But people do not often engage in the planning process ~ it needs to be more easily understood,
have wider ownership and be more efficient and effective:
• We need local plans, but the system of Local Development Frameworks is too complicated and
takes too long.

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• We need plans above the local level to deliver development and infrastructure that crosses
administrative boundaries, but there is a lack of faith in the current system of regional planning.
• National Policy Statements need to be properly spatial.
• We need a national planning framework for England.
4Some enhancements could be made to detailed regulations, policy and guidance in order to respond
to new circumstances, address issues of practice and further simplify the planning system. Planning
is a complex activity but there is always scope to rationalise it, make it more effective and easier to
understand.

What we will do: The RTPI will support planners in making the system work more effectively by helping
to identify enhancements which could be made to detailed regulations, policy and guidance in order to
respond to new circumstances and to address issues of practice where such changes would simplify the
planning process.

3. Going beyond simply “sustainable development”


4Climate change presents society with an urgent need to address the environmental impacts of
development and individual lifestyle choices. We need intelligent solutions, both technical and policy-
based, to deal with this issue in terms of both reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring
development is resilient to environmental changes.
4The challenge of climate change means that we need a different definition of what constitutes
“sustainable development”, so that mitigation and adaptation measures can be balanced with economic,
social and environmental objectives, and the prudent use of natural resources.
4A proper balance is necessary to avoid throwing the baby out with the bathwater: climate change
benefits that could be provided in other ways should not, for example, lead to the irrevocable loss of
habitat or heritage assets.
4In times of limited funding, investment should be targeted on cutting carbon emissions, particularly in
transport and energy.
4Development must be resilient to absorb the impact of climate change and other change. We also
need to plan places to deal with the unexpected impacts of climate change so they can adapt to the
future changes in coastal processes, flood risk, urban heat islands, water resources etc.
4The planning process is not only the means by which these objectives can be balanced in delivering
development, but it can also help demonstrate to existing communities the importance of action on
climate change and influence behaviour to mitigate or address its consequences.

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What we will do: The RTPI will continue to promote and deliver on its seven commitments for planning
to live with climate change to:
1. Promote behavioural change
2. Adapt existing places
3. Work towards responsive legislation and policies
4. Improve current practice
5. Celebrate best practice
6. Compile a compendium of best practice
7. Develop climate change education and skills

4. Empowering our communities


4Planning is about communities and people ~ it is about shaping places and making decisions in the
wider public interest.
4Working with Planning Aid England, the RTPI will lead moves to develop a new relationship between
communities, elected representatives and planning practitioners built on trust, mutual acknowledgement
of skills and knowledge and on a rigorously professional approach.
4Community engagement is fundamental to good planning. Planning enables and fosters community
involvement to help shape the places where people live.
4New legislation and policies should not only embed meaningful community engagement in their
procedures, but should themselves be introduced with the benefit of community input.
4In order to sustain community engagement, planning processes must manage expectations, avoid
duplication that leads to consultation fatigue, and embed opportunities for feedback.
4The planning process can be used to inform communities of a wide range of issues surrounding
public service.

What we will do: The RTPI will work with government and Planning Aid England to lead moves to develop
a new relationship between communities, elected representatives and planning practitioners built on trust,
mutual acknowledgement of skills and knowledge and a rigorously professional approach.

5. Providing better planning skills and resources


4Great places to live and work don’t just happen ~ planners are part of the interdisciplinary teams that
help to shape places for the better.
4Raising the profile of planning within local authorities is vital. We need to ensure that Chartered Town
Planners are members of senior management teams at all levels of government and that leading
councillors and planning committee members are required to take part in appropriate training.

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4Government must properly resource the planning system it expects to deliver so many of its
objectives, and it must fully support the planning profession that is committed to help achieve them.
4Improving skills, enhancing understanding and sharing responsibilities can be facilitated by forging
closer links between planning and other professions ~ this must be achieved not only by the RTPI but
also between departments in national and local government and between other agencies and businesses.
4Chartered membership is essential if proper planning practice is to take place and if the public are to
have recourse where lack of professionalism is suspected. Working with government and employers
to promote and recognise the value of the MRTPI qualification is essential.

What we will do: The RTPI is committed to the highest standards and to raising the skills of the profession.
We will drive forward this agenda by scrutinising accredited planning schools, monitoring members’ Continuing
Professional Development, encouraging best practice and providing opportunities for lifelong learning.

Planning ahead
Planning is about mapping a future vision. Planning decisions must be made on a rational basis in
the public interest. This needs plans which establish what the public interest is for the community,
of whatever size, covered by the plan. Policies and proposals should be driven by community
aspirations and a robust assessment of the evidence of need for development and the need to
safeguard important assets. Crucially, development plans enable policy options and development
options to be compared and prioritised at the same time, rather than adopting proposals out of
context at the planning application stage for single proposals.
The need for different types of development arise from and impact upon different sizes of
community: motorways and railways connect cities, hospitals may serve several districts, houses
cannot always be provided in the area where the need arises. We need mechanisms that allow us
to plan for these needs and co-ordinate them, at whatever geographical scale.
Such planning is all about the spatial relationships between housing, employment, environment,
services and transport and achieving wider objectives. Many important aspects of social, economic
and environmental policy have little variation between local areas and so it is right that some
policies and standards should be set at a national or sub-national level.

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6. Supporting national spatial planning frameworks
4The RTPI believes that each nation in the UK should have a national spatial planning framework to
provide a basis for efficient public and private investment in national infrastructure and development
and to coordinate statements of national planning policy and infrastructure policy.
4The national plan arrangements for Wales and Scotland, and to some extent for Northern Ireland,
have proved valuable in providing an identifiable policy framework for these nations although there is
scope for each to improve based on learning from the others.
4National Policy Statements can operate more effectively within a national framework.

What we will do: The RTPI will promote the need for national spatial planning for each nation within the UK.

7. Delivering infrastructure
4The regime for providing nationally significant infrastructure introduced by the 2008 Planning Act is a
major step forward in streamlining procedures for delivering much needed major infrastructure projects
in England and Wales and its principles are widely supported.
4The need to plan properly for major infrastructure projects should be fulfilled through national spatial
planning frameworks supported by spatial policies in statements relevant to the particular types of
infrastructure needed; this is necessary to link infrastructure provision with the wider aim of sustainable
development.
4The RTPI believes that local infrastructure that is needed to support development and to provide for
the quality of life of its users should be funded by the uplift of land value arising from development
consent. The need for such infrastructure should be supported by a fully evidenced and costed
infrastructure delivery plan.

What we will do: The RTPI supports the principle of preparing National Policy Statements for key
elements of national infrastructure and will continue to argue for a fully spatial approach within the context
of a National Spatial Planning Framework. It supports the principles of tariff systems or the Community
Infrastructure Levy, in conjunction with site specific planning agreements, to deliver local infrastructure.
Implementation of such measures must ensure that they work effectively, do not slow down land supply
and deliver an equitable return to the community.

8. Strategic planning for strategic issues


4The popular image of ‘localism’ fails to acknowledge that some things need to be provided or planned
for at a larger scale than merely local (specialist hospitals, universities, railways, flood risk management,
and minerals for example) and that meeting the needs of larger communities will have different impacts
on different communities.
4There must be strategic plans for meaningful areas at the wider than local scale, that relate to the
areas in which people live and work and to natural ecosystems, to enable options to be considered
and conflicts resolved in an open and accountable manner.

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4There is a wealth of expertise and information currently held by regional planning bodies and it is
essential that this is retained for continued use whatever strategic planning systems are in place.

What we will do: The RTPI will promote the need to support localism with strategic planning at the
international, national and sub-national level to ensure the needs of wider than local community interest
are properly addressed.

9. Producing local plans for local issues


4The RTPI believes that planning decisions should reflect the needs and aspirations of local
communities, who have the right to shape their own future: planning is the key mechanism that
delivers the ‘localism’ agenda. Development plans need to have ownership from the local community
and from investors if they are to succeed and be implemented.
4Local spatial plans that balance meeting people’s development needs with economic, social and
environmental factors enable communities to define what is or is not sustainable for their area in the
public interest.
4To be truly spatial, local plans need to be part of a coordinated suite of policies and implementation
mechanisms that deliver the aspirations of communities and the key service providers in their areas.
4The combination or alignment of a Sustainable Community Strategy, Local Area Agreement and
Local Development Framework used in England is one way of enabling this and has many
advantages.
4Communities should be given the flexibility to produce spatial plans in formats that are best able to
meet their local needs.
4To facilitate delivery, decisions made by other agencies ~ particularly partners to the Local and Multi
Area Agreements ~ should be made in accordance with these spatial plans in the same
way that planning decisions are made.

What we will do: The RTPI is committed to supporting local councils in making local plans simple and
realistic ~ and then delivering them.

Making the right decision


Once a community’s interests are defined in its local plan, it is essential that decisions are taken
that deliver the objectives of the plan in order to ensure that the right development takes place in
the right place at the right time. Development management, backed up by planning enforcement,
is the mechanism that enables this to happen in a transparent and accountable way.

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10. Moving from development control to development management
4We believe that development management is the tool that enables communities to deliver their agreed
vision for their area. True development management is a seamless process that takes an identified
project through from inception to completion.
4Projects could be anything from a particular type of development, to the regeneration of an underused
site, to the enhancement of a historic area. The management of the development could include policy
making, site selection, master planning, detailed design, construction and monitoring development
outcomes.
4Different types of project and different phases of projects may involve different professionals working
in different disciplines but the principle of development management is a commitment by all parties
involved to see the project through. A prerequisite for this is a general agreement about the principle of
the project preferably expressed in development plan policy or an agreed planning brief.
4The shift to development management involves a culture change not just for local authorities but also
for the development industry, planning consultants, consultees and other stakeholders. It depends
upon delivering the identified policies and proposals of the development plan, rather than planning by
exception and appeal.
4The RTPI does not sign up to the caricature that development control was about saying ‘no’ and
development management is about saying ‘yes’. Good planning has always been about enabling the
right development in the right place and the right time and, equally importantly, preventing inadequate,
poorly located and untimely schemes.
4Development management requires a clear and simple process that facilitates and coordinates
engagement with other consenting regimes.
4Once a community’s interests are defined in its local plan, it is essential that decisions are taken that
deliver the objectives of the plan in order to ensure that the right development takes place in the right
place at the right time. Development management, backed up by planning enforcement, is the
mechanism that enables this to happen in a transparent and accountable way. A properly resourced
enforcement service is essential to maintain the integrity of the planning process and the community’s
expectations of it.
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What we will do: The RTPI is committed to a process that moves on from simply assessing development
proposals to a more pro-active approach that begins with a place-making vision, develops a plan to realise
it, supports those proposals that help realise the plan from inception to delivery, and is followed through by
effective enforcement.

11. Retaining independent examination of planning decisions


4The RTPI firmly supports the principle of an independent, impartial and expert body to resolve disputes
whether on planning proposals or development plans. It is best if decisions are made and owned
locally but this is not always possible especially where a locality bears the impact of nationally needed
development. Some independent examination will be necessary in some cases.

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4Independent examination of development plans or proposals should be about seeking an impartial
view on the relative merits of different approaches, within the context of a plan-led system.

What we will do: The RTPI firmly supports the principle of an independent, impartial and expert body to
resolve disputes whether on planning proposals or development plans.

12. Securing spatial assessment of policies


4Policies made by and decisions taken outside the development industry can have impacts ~ positive
and negative ~ on the use of land and the relationship between places. For example, a change to the
admissions policy for a school can change travel patterns and a change in the type of ward available
in a hospital might lead to a need for additional local health services.
4It is essential that when decisions are taken that change the way a place is used, even if there is no
physical development, the impact of the decision on the spatial operation of the place and its surroundings
is assessed so that consequent changes can be planned for.
4Such decisions can have implications for transport, social exclusion and the economy that may need
to be resolved through planning measures. Other implications may have to be managed through other
associated mechanisms.

What we will do: The RTPI believes many policies and proposals ~ for example significant decisions on
the management of public services such as schools and hospitals ~ must always be assessed for their
potential spatial implications, supported by mechanisms such as health and equality impact assessments.

Taking a broad view


Good planning always looks into the future and beyond the immediate neighbourhood.
The world faces major challenges where significant change is required in the development of human
settlements and the provision of major infrastructure, food and energy supply. When lead times for
major investment can stretch over decades, we need to look further forward with open minds beyond
the terms of office of governments and conventional financial planning horizons. The more distant
future is not certain enough for us to make detailed plans but we must start asking questions about
the kind of future we wish to create. Climate change and the reducing availability of natural
resources ~ especially oil ~ make long-term planning increasingly important.
Although planning is often concerned with issues that are specific to local areas, it also has wider
national and global impacts. This comes about not only by the cumulative impacts that development
has across the world but also by planners in different nations sharing their experiences and best
practice to learn from each other and shape their own places more effectively.

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13. Acting globally
4The RTPI is engaged with other international planning organisations to cooperate in the development
of responses to global problems such as those arising from poverty, natural disasters, rapid
urbanisation and climate change. Planning in the UK is world renowned and we export our planning
skills and expertise around the world. We work within the Commonwealth Association of Planners and
through the Global Planners Network to share experiences and best practice.
4Planning in the UK has also been significantly influenced by European legislation. Many directives such
as those for sustainability, environmental assessment and biodiversity have impacted substantially on
the UK planning process and resulted in challenges to UK prepared strategy and decisions.

What we will do: The RTPI will continue to work locally and on the European and global stage with its
partners around the world in order to address common problems facing human settlements such as climate
change, global urbanisation and inequality. It will also work to rationalise European directives affecting
planning.

14. Planning for the long term


4If we want to be truly strategic, facilitate the scale of development that is needed and give
investors real certainty, then we need to look beyond the 5, 10 or even 15 year horizons of
current plans and begin to anticipate the world we wish to create in, say, 50 years time.
4The challenges that will need to be addressed include: the new investment needed in transport,
flood management, marine issues and energy generation and distribution. They also include the
choices that need to be made about the location of new communities, the future of cities and the
use of open land for food production, leisure, water management and energy production.

What we will do: The RTPI is committed to horizon scanning and long term strategic planning to enable
a proper debate to take place and reasonable decisions to be taken about major, long term issues such
as food and energy self-sufficiency; the international consequences of global warming and climate change
such as large scale population migration; and investigating new models for economic recovery,
development and development delivery.

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The Royal Town Planning Institute: our mission
Everything we do is inspired by our mission to advance the art and
science of town and country planning for the benefit of the public.
We champion the role of spatial planning ~ planning that gives people
a real say in shaping the places where they live and work ~ and we
ensure that sustainability is at the heart of everything we do.

We achieve this by:


• promoting spatial planning and what it can do for people;

• campaigning for better planning;

• leading, developing and supporting the planning profession;

• championing Institute membership and its value to society;

• setting professional and ethical standards;

• building public awareness, understanding and support for planning


with access to the system for everyone;

• influencing the development of planning policy and legislation;

• advancing the theory of spatial planning;

• linking spatial planning theory with practice;

• working in partnership with others.

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The Royal Town Planning Institute
41 Botolph Lane, London, EC3R 8DL
www.rtpi.org.uk

Olympic image credits:


London 2010 Olympic Games images © 2007-2009
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Limited

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